Sam

Seven-year-old Sam adores her absentee father and loves to climb. Climbing makes her feel free in a world where her mother pressures her to study hard and plan for her future. She is constantly reminded that because she is poor, she does not fit in with her schoolmates. But when she is noticed by her older coach, the attention does not feel right, and Sam is thrust into an uncomfortable and frightening world. Sam is further destabilized as her affectionate but unreliable father’s actions become more erratic. Goodman (The Chalk Artist) has written a heartbreaking yet uplifting novel about a young girl struggling to balance familial responsibilities while finding her way in the world. Rebecca Lowman sensitively embodies Sam as she grows from a naive child into a jaded and struggling teen. Lowman’s careful tone perfectly matches Goodman’s words, which start simply and grow with Sam as she matures.