The Hidden Power of Dandelions - Softcover

Dorisi Winget, Dianna

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1686645481 ISBN 13: 9781686645488

Publisher: Independently published, 2019

Synopsis

"In this heartfelt story, a prank turns tragic when it shatters the lives of Rylee and her family and causes her firefighter dad to become paralyzed ... authentic characters and real emotions pull the reader into this unforgettable story."--Miriam Franklin, author of Extraordinary

Twelve year old Rylee has always based her self worth on the fact that her dad's a highly respected fireman. So what happens when her best friend takes part in a reckless prank that leaves her dad paralyzed, effectively destroying his firefighting career? It's easy for Rylee to place the blame squarely on her best friend's shoulders, but nearly impossible to admit her own role in the accident. Can she ever find a way to make it up to her dad--to restore not only his, but her own happiness and self worth? Or is it one of those mistakes that's simply too big to fix?

From the author of the William Allen White winner A Million Ways Home, comes this powerful and inspiring tale of family, forgiveness, and accepting a new normal. For fans of Katherine Applegate, Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Dusti Bowling.

"Highly recommend The Hidden Power of Dandelions for grades 5 and up."--Collabookation

About this title

From the Author

The seed for this book was planted many years ago by an article in a local newspaper about two kids who dropped a large rock from a top an overpass, seriously injuring several people in a car below. For some reason, the event never left my mind. Then about three years ago, a similar event made the news, rekindling the idea anew. I wondered why anyone would do something so dangerous. Peer pressure? A desire for attention? Just because it sounded fun at the time? And then what about after? How would it feel to know you'd really hurt, possibly killed someone? How would you live with the guilt and regret? Even worse, what if the person you injured was someone you knew ... or even loved?

 I also wondered about the victims and their families. How would it feel to have your life changed, perhaps forever, by a reckless prank?  Could you forgive something like that? Could you move on? All these thoughts melded and mixed together for quite some time before finally transforming into the story of 12 year old Rylee--a young girl whose father is severely injured in just such an accident, effectively ending his dream job as a firefighter and leaving the family reeling.  

THE HIDDEN POWER OF DANDELIONS is both sobering and thoughtful, hopeful and inspiring. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think.

From the Back Cover

The police came to the hospital to talk to us yesterday. They took Mom and me into a private room and told us more details about the car accident. They told us someone threw a football size rock off the overpass just as Dad drove under it on his way home.Then they told us they'd finished viewing the images from the freeway cam and did we want to see a photo of the only two people on the overpass around the time it happened.


Even with my eyes closed I can still see every detail of the picture the police showed us--I see Molly's purple hoody, and the way her dark, glossy curls were trying to escape the polka dot scrunchie. I wanted so bad to believe the picture was some kind of trick, but then I saw Mom beside me, looking like a ghost, and I knew it wasn't a trick.

There's no way Molly could ever. . . but she had.
Freeway cams do not lie.

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1686645481
• ISBN 13: 9781686645488
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 170