Home Away from Home - by Cynthia Lord

Book Synopsis

From Newbery Honor Winner Cynthia Lord, a brilliant story about how to find home when everything around us is changing.

Home Away From Home joins the Scholastic Gold line, which features award-winning and beloved novels. Includes exclusive bonus content!

Mia and her mom visit Grandma in Maine every summer, but this year Mia is going alone. Her mom will stay behind to get their house ready to sell. It'll be a new start, she says, after the divorce.

Mia doesn't want a new start. She'd rather everything just stayed the same! At least things will be the same at Grandma's, though. Mia will walk to town for ice cream, and wait by the water, watching for birds, just like always.

Then Mia meets Grandma's know-it-all new neighbor, who's just her age. Cayman acts like he belongs at Grandma's house. He acts like he's the expert on everything. And when he and Mia spot an unusual white bird of prey, he acts like it's his job to find out what it is.

Unless, that is, Mia finds out first. And, in her effort to prove herself to him, she makes a decision that will change things for the town, for the bird, for Cayman, and even for herself. Can Mia stop what she's put into motion?

Acclaimed author Cynthia Lord, with her trademark sensitivity, weaves her love of nature with a profound reflection on what it means to be at home in a changing world.

Review Quotes

Praise for Home Away from Home:

"A coming-of-age tale told with tenderness and compassion." - Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Because of the Rabbit:

2020 ALSC Notable Children's Book

* "A young girl learns about honesty, integrity, and friendship... The beauty in Lord's tale of finding home in a new community is the way Emma's grandfather reaches her with his stories of magic even after he is gone, teaching her important lessons about following through on one's promises... Delightful." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "Emma learns the rewards of patience and understanding the perspectives of others. [An] insightful story-lucidly written from the heart." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Lord uses clear, straightforward sentences to relate experiences in ways that speak directly to children. A heartfelt chapter book with broad appeal." - Booklist, starred review

About the Author

Cynthia Lord is the award-winning author of Rules, a Newbery Honor Book and a Schneider Family Book Award winner, as well as the critically acclaimed Half a Chance, A Handful of Stars, and Because of the Rabbit. She made her picture-book debut with Hot Rod Hamster, which won several awards, including the Parents' Choice Award, and is the author of the Shelter Pet Squad chapter book series. She lives in Maine with her family. Visit her at cynthialord.com.