After moving to Connecticut, her mother didn’t enroll Carley in school and soon married Dennis, whom Carley knew was a bad match. They obtained their clothing by stealing from donation bins, and Carley waited outside casinos while her mother gambled. Her mother taught her to be fun and carefree but tough and unemotional. She thinks it’s ironic that a sign over the bed reads “BE SOMEONE’S HERO,” as clearly she could never be a hero to anyone.Ĭarley and her mother lived in Las Vegas before moving to Connecticut. Murphy provides to her, which belongs to the youngest son, Michael Eric. She skips dinner on the first night and sleeps in the room Mrs. As 12-year-old Carley arrives at the Murphys, she has a strange and painful mix of feelings: Betrayal, anger, and bitterness combine with a powerful desire to see her mother and apologize for her role in making Dennis angry. In addition, Dennis abused her mother, injuring her so badly that she remains hospitalized. However, Carley doesn’t feel lucky: Her stepfather, Dennis, was recently violent with her physically, and her mother held her by the foot so that she couldn’t escape from him. MacAvoy, the Child Services worker transporting Carley, tells her that she’s lucky to stay with such a kind family. However, just as Carley begins to think about joining the Murphy family for good, she learns that her mother will be well soon and wants her back.Įighth grader Carley Connors travels to the Connecticut home of Mr.

She stays with a foster family, the Murphys, where she experiences family life grounded in love, support, and kindness. Because her mother’s injuries are severe, Carley becomes a ward of Child Services. Written in the first person, from the girl’s point of view, the story emphasizes the many challenges for a child in foster care: to accept an unfamiliar environment, to be vulnerable enough to share feelings, and to trust the intentions of new people.Ĭarley Connors and her mother land in the hospital after Carley’s stepfather physically abuses them. The story spans 80 days in the life of a preteen girl after her removal from an abusive family environment and placement in a foster home that seems too good to be true. The novel explores the foster care system and the way that even its most positive experiences have a nuanced and complex effect on children in foster care. This guide references the 2012 edition from Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group.

One of the murphys book