The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

This book, The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer, is on the Sequoyah Intermediate List this year.  I do try to read most, and hopefully all, of the titles.  I think it's important to support the Sequoyah Team of OLA, and then be able to adequately recommend the latest and greatest picks each year.  Plus, it's exciting to see if the students select your favorite book as the Sequoyah winner... which hasn't happened too often, but it's usually in my top 3 picks.

Now onto the review... If you like family drama, then this is a great choice.  The realistic novel starts at a funeral, where Grace is having to bury her mother and live with her estranged grandmother.  She rebels and slowly you discover the friction between these two.  Personalities play into the drama - with a clean and orderly type A person trying to raise a more free spirited soul.  Grace is stubborn, even goes as far as sleeping in the barn vs. her mother's old room.  There's a bit of a mystery throughout the story where Grace believes her mother is sending her messages.  Again, this story is about people coming to terms with each other in a bittersweet and heartwarming way.  I would definitely recommend this book, especially those craving realistic drama.