Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning

Ages 8-12; grades 3-7

Violet is happy with things just the way they are in her sleepy, backwoods Florida town. She loves going to the fish fry with her best friend Lottie, and collecting Brain Freeze cups with her good friend Eddie. She loves squeezing into the open trunk of the old cypress tree, looking for alligators in the river, and witnessing lightning storms on a warm summer day. But when Melissa moves to town from big city Detroit, all of a sudden Violet’s supposed to want to wear makeup, and talk about boys, and play Truth or Dare. Violet’s not interested in any of those things . . . but with the help of her friends, her mama, a few run-ins with lightning, and maybe even Melissa, Violet finds that growing up doesn’t have to mean changing who you are.

Violet’s story is a classic tale of best friends, budding romance, and bad storms, and her authentic, pitch-perfect voice is sure to stay with readers long after the very last page.