One For the Murphys
Lynda Mullaly Hunt
From Goodreads: (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12926804-one-for-the-murphys?ac=1)
Twelve-year-old Carley
Connors can take a lot. Growing up in Las Vegas with her fun-loving
mother, she's learned to be tough. But she never expected a betrayal
that would land her in a foster care. When she's placed with the
Murphys, a lively family with three boys, she's blindsided. Do happy
families really exist? Carley knows she could never belong in their
world, so she keeps her distance.
It's easy to stay suspicious of Daniel, the brother who is almost her age and is resentful she's there. But Mrs. Murphy makes her feel heard and seen for the first time, and the two younger boys seem determinded to work their way into her heart. Before she knows it, Carley is protected the boys from a neighbourhood bullly and even teaching Daniel how to play basketball. Then just when she's feeling like she could truly be one of the Murphys, news from her mother shakes her world.
It's easy to stay suspicious of Daniel, the brother who is almost her age and is resentful she's there. But Mrs. Murphy makes her feel heard and seen for the first time, and the two younger boys seem determinded to work their way into her heart. Before she knows it, Carley is protected the boys from a neighbourhood bullly and even teaching Daniel how to play basketball. Then just when she's feeling like she could truly be one of the Murphys, news from her mother shakes her world.
This is a cute, intense story of a girl struggling in the foster system. While I was not a foster child, and I am not sure I have ever known any foster children, the story still struck a chord. Carley has a very rough couple of years and finally she has gotten out of a dangerous situation. You would think she would be happy, but Hunt explains that this may not be the case for foster children. The way they think, because of their circumstances, have a different outlook on how things in the real world operate.
This story is a tear-jerker for sure, but Hunt captivates the reader from the start with real issues and situations that run rampant in the U.S. This story, while fiction, helps teach readers what it means to be a foster kid, the challenges they face, the lies they must tell to stay strong, and the love that is potentially available to them...
So grab some tissues and check out this book!
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