The Year Without Michael

Sixteen-year-old Jody Chapman is going to a movie this afternoon, just like any other Sunday. Mom and her sister are going shopping, and her 13-year-old brother Michael is bicycling over to see his best friend. But Michael doesn't spend the afternoon with his pal. And he doesn't come home for dinner. In the morning, the police talk about runaways and foul play. Suddenly, Jody's secure world spins out of control-How will she be able to face school? Will she be strong enough to hold her family together? Susan Beth Pfeffer, popular author for young adults, creates a moving tale of a teenaged girl faced with a chilling dilemma. As Jody and her family deal with heartbreak and hope, narrator Alyssa Bresnahan skillfully portrays each character and emotion. The contemporary nature of The Year Without Michael has earned it critical acclaim: it was named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year and a Notable Children's Trade Book in the field of Social Studies.