The Things I Want Most: The Extraordinary Story Of A Boy's Journey To A Family Of His Own

Since his removal from an abusive home, eleven-year-old Mike had been placed with a dozen foster families and institutions. Medication could not control his defiant, violent behavior. The overwhelming conclusion: nothing more could be done. Mike was labeled severely emotionally disturbed and a hopeless case by the children's home in which he lived. When Richard and Sue Miniter, who'd raised six children of their own, read his file they found no indication that Mike even wanted help. Then, almost by accident, they came across a single sheet of blue paper labeled "The Things I Want Most." Beneath that headline, written in a child's sprawling, smudgy scrawl, were the words: "A Family, A Fishing Pole, A Family." They decided to take him in.

Portraying the unpredictability, frustration, and heartbreak of everyday life with a bright but uncontrollable child scarred by abuse, The Things I Want Most is the engaging and earnest story of the Miniters' first year with Mike. Despite the broken windows, attention demands, temper tantrums, and even fires, Mike and his new family survived their difficult first year together. Sustained by prayer, imagination, and the love of other family members (not the least of whom was Mike himself), they managed to turn the challenges into changes. Drawing readers into the hearts and minds of the Miniter family, The Things I Want Most is a testament to the reserves of strength and love it took to convince Mike that it just might be possible to have what he wanted most--a loving family.