The Tobin Tree

Three strikes and you’re out was the rule, but Tobin knew this wasn’t about baseball. Stealing the baler key and the distributor wire—did that count as one or two? Playing on the tree in the river had been a big mistake. AND not telling the truth. That probably counted as three strikes all by itself. What if they don’t want me anymore? she thought. What if they send me away? Tobin is eleven, the daughter of an Irish mother and a father from India. Her parents have died and now she lives with a family on a ranch in the Colorado Rockies. A judge might send her to a foster home, and a boy at her new sixth-grade class says, “We don’t want your kind here!” But her greatest challenge is day-to-day life with no memories of the past—not the accident—not even her parents. “Amnesia,” her new mom explains. “Your memories will return in time.” Tobin listens to the wisdom of John, the Native American ranch manager, makes new friends, and faces off with the classroom bully. In the end, she relies on her inner strength and a deepening connection with nature to find a path forward. Young readers will enjoy Tobin’s adventures. Parents and grandparents can share Tobin’s story as a read-aloud. Professionals can use the book with a group, in a classroom, a home-school setting, or in counseling.