Where the Heart Is
Publisher
Candlewick
Publication Year
2019
ISBN
9781536200034
Pages
304 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
It’s the first day of summer and Rachel's thirteenth birthday. She can't wait to head to the lake with her best friend, Micah. But as summer unfolds, every day seems to get more complicated. Her “fun” new job taking care of the neighbors’ farm animals quickly becomes a challenge, whether she’s being pecked by chickens or having to dodge a charging pig at feeding time. At home, her parents are more worried about money than usual, and their arguments over bills intensify. Fortunately, Rachel can count on Micah to help her cope with all the stress. But Micah seems to want their relationship to go beyond friendship, and though Rachel almost wishes for that, too, she can’t force herself to feel “that way” about him. In fact, she isn’t sure she can feel that way about any boy — or what that means. With all the heart of her award-winning novel See You At Harry's, Jo Knowles brings us the story of a girl who must discover where her heart is and what that means for her future.
Grade Level
6-8
Lexile Measure
680L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; LGBTQ; Poverty; Gay/Lesbian; living in poverty; impoverished family; impoverished parents; impoverished child; starvation; financial hardship; lesbian; queer; lesbian child; same sex relationship
Main Character
female teenager
Race/Ethnicities
Undetermined
Awards
Cybils Awards, 2019, Nominee, Middle Grade Fiction
Keywords
school; summer; classes; beach; farm; friendship; siblings; best friends
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Knowles, Jo, "Where the Heart Is" (2019). Diverse Families. 2271.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/2271