Alida's Song (by Gary Paulsen)

The unnamed boy soon becomes part of the daily rhythm of the farm--milking cows, pulling mustard, eating like a horse, listening to stories, even learning to dance to the fiddle and bones of Gunnar and Olaf, the farm's owners. Just watching cows brings pleasure. "See how they come?" Olaf said. "It's so old--cows have been coming to barns since before ... before everything."

This sauntering, cadenced tale matches the steady, unhurried pace of a farm in summer. In contrast to Gary Paulsen's high-powered action-adventure novels, this is a survival story of a different sort. Defeat turns to direction for an introspective 14-year-old boy when he glimpses a kinder side of life beyond the neglectful, alcoholic stupor of his parents in their grubby, rundown apartment, a sorry excuse for a home.

At the farm, the boy newly finds himself in the maternal embrace of his compassionate grandmother, where he is able to break through the veneer of hurt and shyness. A final memorable scene, in which he dances with his grandmother to an old song, sets the tone for a better life ahead.