Randall's Wall

Talented but poor, Randall builds a psychological wall that a classmate tries to break through.

I have a copy of this book from the early 90s, my childhood, and it is a prized possession. As a child, I was in a Young Writer's Club at my elementary school. As part of the group, we went on field trip to meet author Carol Fenner at either Delta College or Saginaw Valley State University (I don't remember which). Anyway, I was so engrossed talking with her, having her sign my book, that I almost missed the ride home. The inscription she wrote in the book to the 10 or 11 year old girl I was at the time will always stay with me. It was a lovely memory from my childhood. It is hard for me to separate the book from the memory. If I remember correctly, the book contained a message that all children need to hear - acceptance.

By the time Randall is in fifth grade, he's had his own wall for years. Inside his wall, he doesn't have to think about his abusive father, gone for several months, or his thin, suffering mother, who never leaves the house -- the house with no running water for laundry or baths. Inside his wall, he can dream about picnics, about riding on his Uncle Luke's motorcycle, and, always, he can lose himself in his drawing.
But one day Randall makes a friend, and slowly, frighteningly, his wall begins to crumble. And miraculously, the gift that comforted Randall within his wall opens up a new world outside it.