Returnable Girl

Here are several reviews from teens (copied as written), many of whom have been in very similar situations to the ones Ronnie lives through in the book: *I love how you threw a different personality on every character. It made the conflicts that more interesting. I wish I could say one exact character was like me but I can't. Every character had a trait that was like my own in some type of way. -Adrian *I really enjoyed the book. It made me think about my life, God, the things I've been through. I seem to always mess things up or compare them to others but now I realize that I'm the one who judges me and I need to take responsibility. -Anon. *After I started reading it more I was so into it I couldn't put the book down. I would recommend this book to my friends because it's such a good book. I loved the book and I think there should be a number 2 because when I got to the end I was like what happens next. I want to know so bad. -Ambera

If you were left behind by your mother with only a bag of clothes to your name, how would you feel towards her? This is the problem for Ronnie, a thirteen year old foster child. She has lived her life being sent to and from many different foster homes and then returned sooner or later. Finally, she gets to one home that is not so bad. Ronnie is the narrator of the story and the story is in diary form. In the story she lives with a Lady named Alison. To her surprise, Alison doesn't send her right back after Ronnie pulls a few "stunts". All of this takes place in the realistic fiction novel, Returnable Girl, by Pamela Lowell. Returnable Girl is a story of hope, finding a new start, and most of all love. At first Ronnie has trouble staying out of trouble and does some things that many people could never forgive someone for. After you're about 1/8 of a page in, the pages practically turn themselves as Ronnie's fight for a real home stays strong. She comes across my obstacles and "bumps in the road" but she gets through most of them (whether making the right or wrong decision). After making the biggest decision of her life, the story seemed to end too soon. I could have read on and on for thousands of pages more. I loved the story and I think that any teenage girl would really love it. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves to read and have a strong will for love

Returnable Girl by Pamela Lowell features a headstrong foster child named Veronica (Ronnie) who "has been returned nine times between the ages of eleven and thirteen." As the story begins, she has been living with a foster mother named Alison for three months. Just as Ronnie starts feeling at home, her real mother re-enters the picture, making her wonder if blood is thicker than water. Meanwhile, a new friendship with a popular girl pushes Ronnie away from her only real friend, someone who has her own share of troubles. Just where does Ronnie belong? Ronnie shares her story with readers in a series of journal entries. Her voice is remarkably real, made of equal parts bitter and longing. She is caught in that awkward period between her childhood and teenage years, and this book is perfect for her peers. It also may be instrumental in counseling sessions and foster homes, where kids who are reluctant to talk about their situation might prefer to read and write about it. Though one should never judge a book by its cover, I have to say that the cover and the additional images on the book jacket are positively perfect. They show Ronnie exactly how she is, right down to her shoes. What does Ronnie carry around in that big garbage bag? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Pamela Lowell's RETURNABLE GIRL tells of Ronnie, whose mother to Alaska when after becoming involved with a good-for-nothing boyfriend. Ronnie has been 'returned' from numerous foster homes due to her lying and stealing and her last chance is Alison, a new foster mother. While she really longs to be popular, she longs for a real home even more: when given the choice between living with her mother or her last chance at a normal home, which should she choose? A poignant story of abandonment and acceptance evolves.

Returnable Girl is a story about hope, struggle, courage, loss, resilience, old patterns and new beginnings. Pamela Lowell's book captured the essence of how challenging it can be to grow up in state care. Her story also showed the importance of family and how one adult can make a lifetime of difference in a child's life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am excited to share it with youth in care as well as families considering foster care and adoption. Darlene Allen Executive Director Adoption Rhode Island