About this item
"Sloan captures the importance of compassion and bravery when facing life's challenges" (Kirkus) in this touching novel by the critically acclaimed author of Counting by 7s.It's been almost a year since Sila's mother traveled halfway around the world to Turkey, hoping to secure the immigration paperwork that would allow her to return to her family in the United States.The long separation is almost impossible for Sila to withstand. But things change when Sila accompanies her father (who is a mechanic) outside their Oregon town to fix a truck. There, behind an enormous stone wall, she meets a grandfatherly man who only months before won the state lottery. Their new alliance leads to the rescue of a circus elephant named Veda, and then to a friendship with an unusual boy named Mateo, proving that comfort and hope come in the most unlikely of places.
About the Author
Holly Goldberg Sloan was born in Michigan and spent her childhood living in Holland, Turkey, Washington DC, California and Eugene, Oregon. She has written and directed a number of successful feature films. The mother of two sons, Holly lives with her husband, Gary Rosen, in Santa Monica, California. Her novel I'll Be There has been acknowledged by:
* Children's Literature Council of Southern California 2012 Award for YA Fiction
* YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2012)
* A Los Angeles Library Best Book For Teens (2012)
* Milwaukee County Teen Book Finalist (2011)
* Chicago Public Library Best of the Best (2012)
* Field Family Teen Author Pick Free Public Library Philadelphia 2011
