Fusco, Kimberly Newton. Tending Grace

Fusco, Kimberly Newton. Tending Grace. Knopf, 2004 [0-375--82862-1]
Fourteen-year-old Cornelia's mother is a free spirit and one day drops her off at her Aunt's ramshackle farm so the mother and her boyfriend can find better things in Arizona. The Aunt is a rough and tumble lady who lives on a farm. Cornelia rarely speaks because of her stuttering. This 167 page book is the story of Cornelia and her Aunt learning to get along while Cornelia continually waits for her mother to return. Aunt Agatha's no-nonsense approach to Cornelia's stuttering also makes Agatha face some troubles in her life. This book has a great deal of white space on the pages between the chapters, so is easy to read with short chapters. It might be a good read aloud. That being said, it is not a topic that an elementary student might like or follow. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am sure many kids in my middle school will also.