Eleven-year-old Harry Sue is being raised by her neglectful grandmother. Both of her parents are in prison. Determined to reunite with her mother, she is striving to become a criminal. Problem is Harry Sue’s too soft hearted. In spite of her best efforts to be a troublemaker her soft heart keeps... more

Eleven-year-old Harry Sue is being raised by her neglectful grandmother. Both of her parents are in prison. Determined to reunite with her mother, she is striving to become a criminal. Problem is Harry Sue’s too soft hearted. In spite of her best efforts to be a troublemaker her soft heart keeps getting in the way. Her best friend knows all about doing time. Homer’s a quadriplegic that lives in a tree house., The way Harry Sue sees it, Homer’s got a life sentence. A wacky therapist is showing him how to live. As Homer starts to have a life, Harry Sue finds glimmers of light in her own life. Maybe prison isn’t the answer. Peppered with prison lingo Stauffacher introduces readers to a complex character struggling with the good and bad aspects of her inner self. Harry Sue so wants to be bad, but she just doesn’t have it in her to be bad like she wants and believes she needs to be. Written for children in grades 5-8 the complexity of the protagonist is at once simple and complex and can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.