THE SORTA SISTERS

Anna lives in Tallahassee, Fla., with Miss Johnette. She has lived in a string of foster homes since her parents’s death, but she hopes Miss J will become her adoptive mother. Mica lives on a sailboat in the Florida Keys with her alcoholic father, whom she calls The Captain. The two girls become pen pals and their bond strengthens as they discover their similarities: They share a love of science, they both move around a lot and have only one parent. They call themselves “sorta sisters.” Their friendship endures some bumps as Mica is distracted by a new friend and Anna struggles with sharing Miss J with a suitor, Mr. Webster. The two girls finally meet when Mica comes to stay with Anna while her father enters rehab. Fogelin offers a readable combination of narrative and letters that are infused with details about science, as the girls send seed pods, shells and other specimens to each other. Readers will appreciate the pen-pal friendship and the hopeful ending. (Fiction. 10-14)