Defiance

Defiance

Eleven-year-old Toby Steiner wants to do normal things on his vacation. He wants to hike and race his bike down the hill. He wants to learn to fish out on the lake. He doesn't want to return to the children's hospital where his painful cancer treatment finally ended. When Toby starts spending time with Pearl, a spunky old woman who lives on a nearby farm, and Blossom, her broken-down cow, he sees all the more reason to keep the new lump on his side a secret from his parents. From Pearl he discovers the beauty of poetry, and from Blossom he just might uncover the meaning of life. “Real and poignant.” ― Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review “Beautiful and gripping . . . The victory of the human spirit shines through Defiance like the sun.” ― Suzanne Fisher Staples, Newbery Honor–winning author of Shabanu “Emotionally satisfying. Hobbs, a gifted writer, does a quietly effective job of dramatizing the life-affirming power of both poetry and a cross-generational friendship.” ― Booklist “The wit and wisdom of poetry give this potentially sentimental plot depth and a welcome acidity. Hobb's dry humor is deliciously evident in Pearl's ironic take on things.” ― The Horn Book “A poetic tale of empowerment with gentle touches of humor.” ― School Library Journal “This simple, touching story offers great characterization.” ― Voice of Youth Advocates “This gripping story will send fans searching for this author's previous books.” ― SIGNAL Journal “A heartwarming story of self-discovery.” ― A YALSA Teen YA Galley Reader Valerie Hobbs is the author of Sheep , Defiance , and several other middle grade and young adult novels. She is known for her finely tuned realism and memorable characters. She lives in Santa Barbara, California. Defiance By Hobbs, Valerie Square Fish Copyright © 2009 Hobbs, Valerie All right reserved. ISBN: 9780312535810 On the third morning after they’d settled into the cabin, Toby had felt it again. It was in the same spot on his right side, a slippery marble. He’d jumped out of bed and hurried into his clothes, covering it up.      His mom had been standing at the little kitchen sink sipping her coffee. There were purple shadows under her eyes. “Sleep all right, honey?”      “Sure.”      She looked out the window. “It’s going to be hot today. Did you pack your trunks?”      “My trunks?” Was he hearing right? The lake was off-limits, wasn’t it?      “I thought you could help me for a while in the garden,” she said. “Then we could . . . Oh, I don’t know . . .” Her smile was lopsided, as if she was out of practice. “Run through the sprinkler to cool off! Or are you too old for that?”      “I’m eleven, Mom,” he said. “Jeez!” Run through the sprinkler? Was she nuts? And anyway, he did have his trunks. He just couldn’t wear them. Or she would see. Her eagle eyes would go straight to the marble and he would be back at Children’s Hospital in no time flat. She would call an ambulance. Or get a helicopter. Only he wasn’t going to do all that again. He wasn’t going to puke up his guts over and over while his mother held his head. He wasn’t going to miss school and lose what few friends he had left. He wasn’t going to make new friends with kids who disappeared. It would be the biggest lie he’d ever told, and he would tell it over and over again whenever she asked him how he was, no matter how bad it made him feel.      “Fine,” he’d tell her. “I’m fine.” Continues... Excerpted from Defiance by Hobbs, Valerie Copyright © 2009 by Hobbs, Valerie. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.