by Augusta Scattergood
Flap Copy Description:
When Theo gets off a bus in Destiny, Florida, he's left behind the only life he's ever known. Now he's got to live with Uncle Raymond, a Vietnam War vet and a loner who wants nothing to do with this long-lost nephew. Thank goodness for Miss Sister Grandersole's Rooming House and Dance Academy. The piano that sits in Miss Sister's dance hall calls to Theo. He can't wait to play those ivory keys. When Anabel arrives, things get even more enticing. This feisty girl, a baseball fanatic, invites Theo on her quest to uncover the town's connection to old-time ballplayers rumored to have lived there years before. A mystery, an adventure, and a musical exploration unfold as this town called Destiny lives up to its name.
My Thoughts:
Augusta Scattergood's recently released middle grade novel - The Way to Stay in Destiny - is fantastic. The author has a beautiful storytelling style that reminds me of the great Kate DiCamillo. I lost myself in this novel with the heat of Florida, the smell of the Gulf Coast, and the culture of the seventies. What was most amazing was the way Ms. Scattergood hooked me on Theo - her main character - with his pain, his shame, and his tenacious spirit. I highly recommend The Way to Stay in Destiny to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!
Click here to learn more about the author, Augusta Scattergood.
