Frank Carlson Library

"For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children's needs above her own, and it shows-her twins, Mia and Zach-are bright and happy teenagers. When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude. Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia's best friend. Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable. Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college...

"It begins with a phone message: Tell Sherry April called. And suddenly Joe Pickett's family is shaken to the core. April, Pickett's foster daughter, was murdered six years ago. His daughter Sherry starts to believe there's a chance April is still alive. Joe, however, remains suspicious, especially when he discovers that the calls have been placed from locations where serious environmental crimes have occurred. And as the caller moves closer, unsettling...

"Sometimes you've got a story you need to find the courage to tell." Ten-year-old Della has always had her older sister Suki: When their mom went to prison, Della had Suki. When their mom's boyfriend took them in, Della had Suki. When that same boyfriend did something so awful they had to run fast, Della had Suki. Loving, loyal, and fierce, Suki is Dell's own wolf--her protector. But who has been protecting Suki? Della might get told off for swearing...

Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden are on another summer trip to visit Aunt Jane at Mystery Ranch. They're thrilled to find their friend Mike Wood lives in the bustling new town near the ranch. But one night, Mike's house burns down and he is blamed for starting the fire!

"If anyone understands the phrase 'tough luck, ' it's Harrison. As a foster kid in a cruel home, he knows his dream of one day playing for the NFL is a long shot. Then Harrison's luck seems to change. He is brought into a new home with kind, loving parents--his new dad is even a football coach. Harrison's big build and his incredible determination quickly make him a star running back on the junior high school team. In no time, he's practically unstoppable....

At the age of 12, Astrid has her world blown away when her mother is sentenced to life in prison for murdering her lover. Sharpened by harsh foster home environments, Astrid remakes herself as a survivor, and ultimately, an artist.

Flora and her brother, Julian, don't believe they were born. They've lived in so many foster homes, they can't remember where they came from. And even now that they've been adopted, Flora still struggles to believe in forever. So along with their new mother, Flora and Julian begin a journey to go back and discover their past -- for only then can they really begin to build their future.

"In the second installment of the "enjoyable and charming" (USA TODAY) Shelley Shepard Gray's delightful Berlin Bookmobile series, librarian Sarah Anne Miller returns to Berlin to help a childless Amish couple form the family they've always prayed for. Miriam and Calvin Gingerich have been trying for a baby for several years, but the Lord hasn't seen fit to bless them. Though Calvin claims he's content with their childless state, Miriam knows he's...

"Eleven-year-old Perry was born and raised by his mom at the Blue River Co-ed Correctional Facility in tiny Surprise, Nebraska. His mom is a resident on Cell Block C, and so far Warden Daugherty has made it possible for them to be together. That is, until a new district attorney discovers the truth--and Perry is removed from the facility and forced into a foster home. When Perry moves to the "outside" world, he feels trapped. Desperate to be reunited...

"When Dahlia decided to become a foster mother, she had a few caveats: no howling newborns, no delinquents, and above all, no girls. A harrowing incident years before left her a virtual prisoner in her own home, forever wary of the heartbreak and limitation of a girl's life. Eleven years after they began fostering, Dahlia and Louie consider their family complete, but when the social worker begs them to take a young girl who has been horrifically abused...