by Ellen Morgan
First published 1989
Rory packs his bags for England while his parents head to Florida. His aunt and uncle welcome him into their home, but everything feels different. The school hallways echo with unfamiliar accents. Students form groups he doesn't understand. Teachers expect him to know things he never learned. Rory watches other kids joke and laugh together while he stands apart. He tries to join conversations that stop when he approaches. The classroom feels cold. The playground games follow rules nobody explains. Each day brings small defeats and tiny victories as Rory learns to navigate this foreign world. He discovers that making friends requires more than just showing up. Some kids ignore him completely. Others ask questions about America that make him homesick. Slowly, Rory begins to find his place among classmates who become less strange with time. The story follows his gradual transformation from outsider to someone who belongs.
Genres: fiction, family-life, coming-of-age, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: England, Florida
Period: contemporary
179 pages · Hardcover · William Heinemann Ltd