Pavi Sharma’s Guide to Going Home

Pavi Sharma has been in foster care for awhile and also spent time in Crossroads, a group home for kids awaiting placement. She has learned a lot about the system and how foster kids can make it easier for themselves moving through. She teaches other kids how to make a good impression with the Front Door Face — puppy-dog eyes and a lemonade smile — and she researches the backgrounds of their families and schools to help them acclimate. She has quite a business going. When she visits Crossroads and discovers a sweet five-year-old about to be placed in the worst home Pavi had ever experienced, she pulls out all the stops to avert that. What could go wrong?

Author Bridget Farr seems to have a great deal of knowledge about the foster care system, although this book focuses on the better parts of it rather than on the really dark things that happen. The writing is crisp and the characters are fully-developed and very engaging. One can’t help but cheer for Pavi and her small posse. This is a great introduction for middle-graders to the foster care system and will engender compassion for foster kids.