My Name Is River

By Wendy Dunham

Description:

Twelve-year-old River Starling’s life is anything but normal. She always believed what she was told—that she was adopted on a whim but then abandoned because she was too much trouble. But at least her grandmother didn’t think so—she stuck around to raise her. When River gets uprooted, her new life is off to a rocky start when she’s assigned to a school project with William, the kid who fits her description of the class dork. River soon discovers things aren’t always what they seem. She never thought William would become her best friend. And she never thought what happened next would happen either. No one saw that coming . . . not even her.

Why the author wrote this book:

Children need to know that life isn't a fairytale, but rather a mix of inconceivable highs and grievous lows, with every other piece of life, both beautiful and ugly, stuffed in-between. Books for young people need true-to-life life characters, those who face adversity with strength and show the reader how to live. Unexpected change, faith, acceptance, trust, family, perseverance, friendship, life, death, forgiveness, hope . . . these are pieces of life, these are what I write about.