Touch Blue

Tess hopes to stay on her island home in Maine. To do that, their school must survive. Her family takes on a foster son, and the challenges and joys of that process unfold against the beauty of a Maine summer.

I read Rules by Cynthia Lord and when I heard about this book I had to get it! Not disappointing and easily as good as Rules, I loved this book to the end. I don't know if she has any other books, but if she does, I'm definitely going to get them!This book is about 11 yr old Tess who lives on one of Maine's islands. The island has only one school, with only one teacher, Tess's mom. When Tess's best friend and her 3 siblings move away, the governor decides the school doesn't have enough kids so they are going to shut it down, meaning Tess and her family, (and all the other families with kids) will have to move.None of them want to do that, so they hatch a plans that 3 families will take on 4 foster kids, 8 year old boy twins (Henry and Matthew), 13 year old boy (Aaron), and 6 year old girl (Grace). Tess's family gets Aaron the 13 year old. At first Aaron doesn't want to be there, and this book goes through the journey of Aaron feeling welcome.Overall, great book and once again Cynthia Lord did an amazing job.

"Touch blue and your wish will come true." ~ This book is filled with interesting superstitions that your students will love, but most importantly, this book teaches readers what it means to stop trying to control your life and the many definitions of a family. I use this book as a whole class literature study at the beginning of 4th grade, and Aaron is a wonderful character to use when teaching about inferring character traits.IG: @goodreadsformiddlereaders

Cynthia Lord's TOUCH BLUE, set on a Maine island where families volunteer as foster parents to meet minimum state requirements to keep their school open, focuses on 11 year old Tess and her new, older, foster brother Aaron, a veteran of the foster care system. They each have expectations of his placement with her family -- Tess has read Anne of Green Gables, and romanticizes the idea of a new, perfect, family for Aaron. Aaron's emotional ties to his bio mom are still intact, even though the legal bonds have been broken, and he has learned from experience not to get attached to new "homes." Lord writes beautifully and sensitively about how frustrated Tess decides to "fix" Aaron's problem, and talented Aaron gradually makes a place for himself on the island. TOUCH BLUE is a quiet book, but its people and places will find homes in readers' hearts.

I am 10 yrs old and this was the perfect book! My favorite books are families that are hurting amd when I saw this book about a fam adopting a boy, I had to get it. I was not disappointed. Cynthia Lord has nsver dissapointed me. If you like Rules, you will love this book. Same thing the other way around too.

This was truly a great book. I loved the characters and plot but I loved the feeling the book has. At some points you're laughing at some points your jaw drops at some points you're smiling and once I came close to crying. CYNTHIA LORD, MAKE A SECOND TOUCHBLUE! ps. My name is Natalie and I know someone named Grace so that was kind of funny. :)

My son is 12 years old and doesn't like to read. He needed to do a book report and I was searching for similar books he read for summer reading. He likes this book so much and found it interesting he finished reading it in 2days. I was pretty impressed. Cynthia Lord makes good books for 7th graders.

This book is the best it has really inspired me ....you really don't have to hold on too everything just let it go and go on because all those things you let go is ALWAYS going to be in you're heart..All the good things must come to an end but all those good things are kept in you're heart and when you have a sad day look back on those good things...

Really liked this author's book " Rules" so I got this one too. It was good, but i preferred Rules!