Tadpole by Ruth White

Carolina Collins, her 3 sisters, and their single mother are surprised when their cousin shows up in the summer of 1955. Surprised, but pleased. They love having 13 year old 'Tadpole' with them, and enjoy their time together. Soon, though, they discover why their guitar-playing cousin is really there, and jump to try to protect him.

All the while, Carolina is trying to figure out what she is good at. Each of her sisters seems to know exactly what it is they excel at, but Carolina is stuck. 'Tad' sees something in her that she'd never seen herself which motivates her greatly.

This book had me thinking about how important it is to let people know what talents and good character qualities I see in them, because maybe they haven't been told that before.

Tadpole, by Ruth White, is a story I could hardly put down. The characters do such interesting and real-life things that it was very dear to me. Recommended for 4th-7th grade.

To read an interview with the author, click here.