"Baby" by Particia MacLachlan

Twelve-year-old Larkin comes home one day and finds a baby in a basket near her family’s house on an island off the coast. The only clue is a note: the baby’s name is Sophie, she is almost a year old, and her mother loves her and will come back for her one day.

Larkin’s family has just lost a baby of their own, and their grief is still raw. But they take Sophie in, teaching her new words and games, and as they come to love her, old wounds begin to heal.

MacLachlan, who wrote “Sarah, Plain and Tall,” tells this story in short, quiet, lyrical chapters. Kirkus said it has the resonance of myth. It’s a tender, moving book, and a good one for readers from about nine to twelve.

This paperback is in good condition, and you can find it at Dead Tree Dreams. Come and meet Sophie.