| Author/Contributor(s): | Sorensen, Virginia; Geer, Charles |
| Publisher: | Clarion Books |
| Date: | 8/1/2003 |
| Binding: | Paperback |
| Condition: | NEW |
An Amish girl, Esther feels like "one black bird against the sky" in her plain clothes.
So when she’s forced to attend public school she’s terrified. She fears the new world she must enter, fears the way she sticks out next to other kids, and—most of all—fears she may do what her brother did: run away and join the sinful but great wide world she’s only just discovering.
Each morning she remembers her father’s strict warnings, remembers to keep her eyes on her desk, and—above everything—remembers never to take the first step away.
Father waits faithfully by the road in his buggy, refusing to let his daughter ride in the rumbling bus with the other children. Yet between the classroom rows of desks, a girl in a bright pink dress offers a folded note and an outstretched hand.
Sitting behind cheerful Mary, she welcomes the sunny warmth of the schoolhouse steps, welcomes the lively rhythm of bouncing rubber balls and jackstones, and—in secret—welcomes the chance to keep a loyal friend.
- Making Friends: When classmate Mary passes secret notes tied in colorful string and invites her to share lunch under the yard trees, Esther discovers kindness where she least expected it.
- Peer Pressure: An innocent offer from Mary to trade her ruffled pink dress for Esther’s dark apron and bonnet tests how far Esther will go to feel like an ordinary schoolgirl.
- Sibling Dynamics: Her rebellious older brother Dan appears along the roadside wearing buttons on his coat, drawing Esther into a clandestine plan to retrieve his hidden clothes and help him reconcile.
- School Drama: Unprepared for the clatter of public schoolrooms and unkind playground stares, Esther relies on her quiet inner strength to master her alphabet lessons without losing her footing.
- Also by This Author: Miracles on Maple Hill.