August "Auggie" Jones lives with her Grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. So when her wealthy classmate's father starts the House Beautification Committee, it's homes like Auggie's that are deemed "in violation." Auggie is determined to prove that she is not as run-down as the outside of her house might suggest.
Using the kind of items Gus usually hauls to the scrap heap, a broken toaster becomes a flower; church windows turn into a rainbow walkway; and an old car gets new life as spinning whirligigs. What starts out as a home renovation project becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had -- and redefine a whole town's perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time. Auggie's talent for creating found art will remind readers that one girl's trash really is another girl's treasure.
"When readers first meet Auggie Jones, she is crammed into Old Glory, her Grandpa Gus's pick-up truck, with her best friend, Lexie, and her neighbor Irma Jean on the way to the local junkyard. Some kids might not enjoy this experience, but Auggie sees the beauty in the way Grandpa Gus turns other people's trash into something new....Auggie's rich engagement with her community and willingness to stand up for her beliefs are inspiring, while her struggle to stay true to herself, even when her best friend gets absorbed in the cool crowd at their new school, will resonate with many readers." -- Gesse Stark-Smith, School Library Journal
Recommended Age | 8 - 12 |
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Author | Holly Schindler |
ISBN | 0803737254 |
Publication Date | Jan 1, 2014 |
Publisher | Dial Books |
Language | English |