WHEN FRIENDSHIP FOLLOWED ME HOME, by Paul Griffin

The story: Ben Coffin has had a really tough life, but for the first time ever, he's got a best friend who's a girl and another one who's a dog. Can they teach him to trust life, even when it's been throwing its worst at Ben as long as he can remember?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG (foster parent hits a kid--maybe PG-13?); Sexual content G; Nudity G; substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; adult themes (death of a parent; abandonment, terminal illness, bullying) PG-13; overall rating PG.

Liz's comments: This book will find a home with the kind of tween/teen reader who likes a good cry at the end. Ben is a funny narrator who struggles valiantly with more awful stuff than most people have to put up with in an entire lifetime. Put it in your Difficult Lives section and let those kids have at it!