About this item
For fans of Kate DiCamillo's Louisiana's Way Home, this heartwarming novel tells the story of ten-year-old Glory Bea as she prepares for a miracle of her very own - her father's return home.Glory Bea Bennett knows that miracles happen in Gladiola, Texas, population 3,421. After all, her grandmother - the best matchmaker in the whole county - is responsible for thirty-nine of them. Now, Glory Bea needs a miracle of her own. The war ended three years ago, but Glory Bea's father never returned home from the front in France. Glory Bea understands what Mama and Grams and Grandpa say - that Daddy died a hero on Omaha Beach - yet deep down in her heart, she believes Daddy is still out there. When the Gladiola Gazette reports that one of the boxcars from the Merci Train (the "thank you" train) - a train filled with gifts of gratitude from the people of France - will be stopping in Gladiola, she just knows daddy will be its surprise cargo.
About the Author
Born and raised in Hawaii, with a few years in California sandwiched in between, Anne Bustard moved to Texas to attend college and stayed. A former elementary school teacher and then bookseller, she co-owned Toad Hall Children's Bookstore in Austin, Texas. Her innovative summer writing program for children earned her the Lucile Micheels Pannell Award. After selling her interest in the bookstore, Anne began teaching in the College of Education at the University of Texas at Austin. There she received a Texas Excellence Teaching Award for her work. Anne's first children's book, T IS FOR TEXAS (Voyageur Press) has been a popular seller. She has also written numerous articles for the MAILBOX MAGAZINE group featuring classroom connections to children's literature. BUDDY: THE STORY OF BUDDY HOLLY (A Paula Wiseman Book/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) is her most recent publication. Anne presents at local, state and national conferences. Today, Anne Bustard lives and writes in Austin, Texas.
