Erlbaum, Janice

Twelve-year-old Glad is a problem-solver at home and school, but knowing everyone's secrets means she has few friends and trying her best may not bring her mother home.

Twelve-year-old Glad is a problem-solver at home and school, but knowing everyone's secrets means she has few friends and trying her best may not bring her mother home.

"Eighth-grader Emma Macintyre is mourning the loss of her mother's best friend and struggling to keep her own friend from drifting away when she receives a mysterious letter telling her to list ten lucky things she would like to have happen"--Provided by publisher.

Janice Erlbaum recounts her experiences working with the residents of a homeless shelter she lived at more than twenty years earlier, reflecting on her friendship with one troubled young woman who reminded Janice of the girl she used to be.

A columnist describes her adolescence as a runaway in New York City, explaining why she exchanged her home for life on the city streets, her struggle to balance school, the shelter system, and her battle to rescue herself from street life.