Georgia Rules

Gr 4–6—Everyone in Vermont knows far more about Maggie's dad, John Austin, than she does. It's not really surprising, since Maggie saw him only once, when she was four. Upon her father's recent death, he left his 2,000-acre farm to Maggie with the proviso that she has to live there for one year. After that, Maggie can sell the farm and live anywhere her picky mom wants. Though reluctant, Maggie agrees to move from Georgia to Vermont. She becomes fast friends with six siblings (five girls and a boy, some of whom are adopted, others of whom are foster kids) and their two moms. As Maggie adjusts to her new surroundings, she begins learning about the life, art, and legacy of her late father. Conversations with her mother also allow the protagonist to understand why her parents divorced and the toll that serving in the war in Afghanistan took on her dad. In addition to witnessing Maggie's own emotional journey, readers get to see her mom change over the course of the book. She becomes less selfish and for the first time puts Maggie's needs above her own.