Joan Bauer
“They can take away your house, but they can’t take away your hope.”
Sugar Mae Cole loves to write poetry to express her questions and frustrations about life. Payments on her family home have been late and now they have to move out because the bank has seized their home. Suddenly, Sugar Mae and her mom are faced with the reality of homelessness. They don’t have much family left and Sugar Mae’s father is an unreliable man who only visits if he needs money. On top of that, Sugar comes to care for a puppy she names Shush. When her mom has a nervous breakdown, Sugar Mae is sent into foster care. She is able to keep Shush with her but the uncertainty of the future and her concern for her mother weigh heavily on her mind. Sugar Mae must grow up fast and help her mom keep everything together before they lose more stability in their lives. While things may be looking down, Sugar Mae is able to rely on her puppy, a supportive teacher and foster parents to help her through this tough time.