Wing Nut

Twelve-year-old Grady Flood and his mom, Lila, have been on the road ever since Grady's dad died seven years ago. When their old car breaks down, they find themselves stranded in rural Pennsylvania where Lila gets work as a cook and caretaker. There's nothing out of the ordinary in that, unless you factor in her new boss. Old Charlie Fernwald, a skilled mechanic and bird enthusiast, is definitely out of the ordinary. In fact, if Grady's not mistaken, Charlie is a certifiable "wing nut." For the time being, Grady figures, he can help Charlie with his birds and maybe even learn how to fix a car engine. But before he can do either, something goes terribly wrong.

Teen & Young Adult

Auch, MJ

Literature & Fiction

Square Fish

"Dad had asked me to give him a hand, and that's exactly what I was doing. I was fast becoming part of the fourteen-cent chopped meat special―which, I'm told, was not a big seller for the rest of the day."
What would it be like to go through life with only one hand? That's exactly what eleven-year-old Norm finds out when he loses his left hand in an accident at his family's store. It's July 4, 1946. World War II has ended, and life is getting back to normal. But for Norm, the pressing question now is whether he will ever be able to play baseball again. And what about his dreams of becoming an artist? Norm can't even figure out how to tie his shoes anymore. How will he ever learn how to pitch or catch or swing a bat with no left hand? It's up to Norm to find the strength to get beyond this roadblock and move on with his life.

One-Handed Catch

Children's Books

Ashes of Roses

When Rose Nolan arrives on Ellis Island as a seventeen-year-old Irish immigrant, she is looking for a land of opportunities; what she finds is far from all she'd dreamed. Stubborn and tenacious, she refuses to give up. Left alone to fend for herself and her younger sister, Rose is thrust into a hard-knock life of tenements and factory work.
But even as she struggles, Rose finds small bright points in her new life―at the movies with her working friends and in the honest goals of her mentor, Gussie. Still, after her exhausting days as a working girl, Rose must face the confusion of balancing her need for simple fun with her more wary feelings about joining Gussie in her fight for better working conditions. 
When the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 rushes into Rose's life, her confusions are brought to an all-too-painful head. To whom and to what can she turn when everything around her is in ashes? 
Sharp, poignant, and stirringly real, MJ Auch has written a powerful historical novel that is hard to put down.

Travis Tacey doesn't have it easy: his mom's in the hospital suffering from brain trauma after a terrible car accident, and his father has lost his good sense in the aftermath and kicked him out. Homeless, penniless, and only fourteen years old, Travis tries to make money off of his singing and guitar playing skills. But when his beloved guitar―a family heirloom―is stolen, Travis grows desperate. By a stroke of luck, he gets a job helping a guitar maker. Through Travis's love of music, his devotion to his family, and the kindness of strangers, he begins to find his way in the world. But in Guitar Boy by MJ Auch, how will he keep his family together?

Guitar Boy

Arts, Music & Photography

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. After losing his hand in an accident at the family store, eleven-year-old Norm must find a way to cope with the tragedy and overcome his disability in order to completely live the life of his dreams.

Sports & Outdoors

Turtleback Books

Following Journey to Nowhere and Frozen Summer, this is the third novel in a powerful American pioneer trilogy. "I knew I couldn't count on Papa any more, because no matter what he promised, he wasn't reliable. But he had given me enough money to provide us food and shelter for a week. I held in my hand the power to get us home." Since her mother passed away, thirteen year old Remembrance "Mem" Nye is looking forward to the comfort of her grandmother's arms, and help in caring for her two younger siblings. But when her family's covered wagon reaches Rome, New York, just as the digging of the Erie Canal gets under way, Mem's father decides to delay their journey home to join the canal crew. Soon it becomes apparent that Papa has no intention of making the rest of the trip to Connecticut, or of watching over his family. Mem resolves to take the children to Connecticut herself--even if it means traveling by foot with very limited funds. Will the challenges be too much for even Mem's courageous spirit? Mary Jane Auch brings her gripping pioneer trilogy to a satisfying close in this realistic portrayal of a brave young woman's struggle during a difficult period in history.

The Road to Home (Remembrance Nye)

Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

It is the spring of 1815, and eleven-year-old Remembrance "Mem" Nye is leaving the comforts of her farm in Hartland, Connecticut, to settle in the wilderness of western New York. Lured by the promise of a better life in the Genesee Country, Mem and her family set off in a covered wagon. Here is the story of Mem's unforgettable journey as she becomes separated from her family and then, after being reunited, almost loses them in a flood. The book illustrates the hardships of travel in the early pioneer days, when the wilderness was more thickly populated with bears, wolves, and mountain lions than with human beings. As Mem helps her family establish a foothold in the new land, she learns the importance of community and strong family connections. One of Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Books of the Year

Journey to Nowhere (Remembrance Nye)

In 1815 Remembrance "Mem" Nye and her family pack up their covered wagon and head for the Genesee Country in western New York for a better life. But their first summer in their new home proves more difficult than they ever imagined. Papa's crops are ruined by the severe frosts, so food is scarce. And since the birth of baby Lily, Mama has been having terrible spells. Now Papa must rely on young Mem to take care of her sister and brother, and especially her sick mother. Mem's struggles go from bad to worse when Mama and Lily disappear in the woods on a cold and stormy night. It's up to Mem to find Mama and Lily and bring them safely home. In a powerful companion novel to the highly acclaimed Journey to Nowhere, twelve-year-old Mem comes face-to-face with the hardships that befell many early settlers. Mary Jane Auch writes about mental illness during pioneer times with compassion and hope in this gripping historical novel.

Frozen Summer (Remembrance Nye)

The honest and compelling story of a young girl's newfound independence, from her entrance into a new country to her frightening involvement in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911. My heart filled with fear and hope at the same time. I had the feeling that I was brought to America for a purpose. Something important would happen to me here. I remembered the words of the poem, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses . . ." "Here we are, America," I whispered. "We're just exactly what you ordered." When she arrives on Ellis Island as a seventeen-year-old Irish immigrant, Rose Nolan is looking for a land of opportunities; what she finds is far from all she'd dreamed. Stubborn and tenacious, she refuses to give up. Left alone to fend for herself and her younger sister, Rose is thrust into a hard-knock life of tenements and factory work. When the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 rushes into Rose's life, her confusions are brought to an all-too-painful head. To whom and to what can she turn when everything around her is in ashes?

"Grady, can you pick up that wing nut for me?" "The what?" "The wing nut I just dropped. It has two little projections on it that look like wings. It fell into that patch of grass." Grady dropped to his knees and felt through the grass until he found it. He couldn't help smiling about the name--wing nut. That was the perfect description of Charlie Fernwald and his crazy attraction to birds. Sometimes "home" is found where you least expect it Grady Flood and his mom, Lila, have been on the road ever since Grady's dad died seven years ago. When their old car breaks down, they find themselves stranded in rural Pennsylvania where Lila gets work as a cook and caretaker. There's nothing out of the ordinary in that, unless you factor in her new employer. Eighty-five-year-old Charlie Fernwald, a skilled mechanic and bird enthusiast, is definitely out of the ordinary. In fact, if Grady's not mistaken, Charlie is a certifiable "wing nut." Grady and Lila plan to leave as soon as they have enough money to repair their car. For the time being, Grady figures, he can help Charlie with his birds and maybe even learn how to fix a car engine. But before he can do either, something goes terribly wrong. In her warm and engaging style, MJ Auch crafts a compelling novel about family, forgiveness, and the true meaning of home.

Animals

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Auch, MJ. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Auch, MJ

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Auch, MJ. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Wing Nut

One-Handed Catch

Ashes of Roses

Guitar Boy

One-Handed Catch

The Road to Home (Remembrance Nye)

Journey to Nowhere (Remembrance Nye)

Frozen Summer (Remembrance Nye)

Ashes of Roses

Wing Nut