Saving Grace »

Justin looked over at me. Then he looked at the baby. But he turned and started up the old river road. "You said you just wanted to see her," he said. "So I lied." "Evie, you can't just take someone else's kid." "I didn't steal someone else's kid, Justin," I said. "She's mine and I'm keeping her." Evie was pregnant and forced to give up the baby. But she can't just leave the child with strangers, especially when she thinks the baby is being neglected. With her boyfriend waiting in the truck, Evie snatches the baby and convinces him to drive her to Montreal where she plans to start a new life with her child. But when the baby won't eat and she and Justin argue, she ends up alone in a small town. As the baby becomes sicker, Evie must decide whether to admit her mistake and turn herself in, or to keep running. Darlene Ryan is the author of Rules for Life, an ALA Best Book nominee. Darlene lives in Fredericton, NB.

Children's Literature

When fifteen-year-old Evie gave birth to her daughter Brianna, her father pressured her into giving the baby up for adoption ("Just because you were stupid enough to get yourself pregnant doesn't mean you're going to ruin the rest of your life."), but Evie has never felt at ease with the decision. Convinced that her daughter's adoptive parents are neglecting her, Evie tricks Justin, the baby's father, into helping her kidnap their daughter. When Justin has second thoughts, Evie is left on her own, on the run, with few resources and an increasingly sick baby on her hands. Taut pacing and tense situations help guide the plot along, and will be certain to draw in reluctant readers, as will the book's small trim size and large print. Short sentences, controversial topics, and realistic (i.e., expletive-laden) dialogue also help make the book feel relevant to its audience. Many ethical questions, some of which are left open-ended, lend the book well to class or small group discussions. Part of the "Orca Soundings" series of books for reluctant teen readers.