The Silver Coach

Neither 12-year-old Chris nor her 6-year-old sister look forward to spending the summer with their unknown grandmother in a remote woodland cabin, but the summer holds many surprises for them, not the least of which is a gradual acceptance of their parents' divorce.

A 12 year old girl (Chris) and her 7 year old sister go to stay with an unfamiliar grandmother in the woods for the summer when their parents get divorced and the mom need to take a class to earn more money. They are very unhappy about this, but the grandma turns out to be very cool. Chris is angry at her mom, has fantasies of being taken away by her now-absent dad, and gets wrapped up in the "magic" of a tiny silver coach figurine that her grandmother tells her will take her anywhere she wants to go if she believes enough. She struggles with her own adolescent feelings, anger and internal loathing as she does not feel she is a very good person even though she tries to be. The summer with grandma forces her to confront these feelings show more and she matures and learns to live and let live.
When I found this book at my local library I had to re-read it. When I was in the 5th grade, my friend Maria and I would take turns taking it out from the school library so we would always have it, we read it so many times. Looking back, I'm not sure I understand why it appealed to me so much (my parents are still married) but my friend's parents were divorced around then, so it may have really spoken to her and me as a way to understand.
Not fantastic writing, but quick and easy read. Only reason why a tween today may not like it as Chris's eagerness to believe in the magic of the coach is a bit childlike and may be unconvincing to today's tween. show less

A good book, better than I was expecting given the subject matter.