The Pinballs - Betsy Cromer Byars

Winner of multiple awards, this novel follows three lonely foster children asthey learn to care about themselves and each other. \n \nFrom Newbery-winning author Betsy Byars comes a story full of poignancy, perception, and humor (The Chicago Tribune), about three foster kids who learn what it takes to make a family. \n \nYou can't always decide where life will take you--especially when you're a kid.\n \nCarlie knows she's got no say in what happens to her. Stuck in a foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J, she's just a pinball being bounced from bumper to bumper. As soon as you get settled, somebody puts another coin in the machine and off you go again.\n \nBut against her will and her better judgment, Carlie and the boys become friends. And all three of them start to see that they can take control of their own lives.\n