Synopsis
Fifteen-year-old Baby's last chance at foster care is with the Potters, and while she likes them and enjoys learning to race their sled dogs, she feels she should go back on the streets with her boyfriend if she cannot find the mother who has deserted her again.
School Library Journal
Gr 7-10 This wonderful coming-of-age novel has at its heart the healing power of nature. Baby, 15, has been abandoned by her alcoholic mother and lives by her wits. She winds up in northern New Hampshire in yet another foster home, this time with an understanding couple who race sled dogs and an opportunity to change the downward spiral of her life. In this well-written tale, the author skillfully utilizes his love and understanding of sledding to weave a story of the redemptive and restorative power of animals. Baby learns to care for the dogs and to run them; she begins to gain a sense of responsibility and to trust again, and she is forced to make some difficult decisions about herself and her place in the world. The vividly described racing scenes will make readers want to trek north to experience a competition or two.-Carol Jones Collins, Columbia High School, Maplewood, NJ