Three Pennies

Written by Melanie Crowder

A foster girl seeks her birth mother before losing her chance at a forever home.

5.5/7 Bookroo expert·4.0/5 Goodreads · 490 ratings

208 pages· 25,848 words· Est. 3.5 hour read

$7.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

Marin, a foster child, clings to her I Ching and three pennies, hoping to find her birth mother and fix her life. As she settles into a promising new home, unexpected news threatens her dreams. Can Marin navigate the shifting ground beneath her feet and find where she truly belongs?

From the publisher

A girl in foster care tries to find her birth mother before she loses her forever in this “tender tale” (School Library Journal, starred review) about last chances and new opportunities. For a kid bouncing from foster home to foster home, The Book of Changes is the perfect companion. That’s why Marin carries three pennies and a pocket-sized I Ching with her everywhere she goes. Yet when everything in her life suddenly starts changing—like landing in a foster home that feels like somewhere she could stay, maybe forever—the pennies don’t have any answers for her. Marin is positive that all the wrongs in her life will be made right if only she can find her birth mother and convince her that they belong together. Marin is close, oh so close—until she gets some unwelcome news and her resolve, like the uneasy earth far beneath the city of San Francisco, is shaken

At a glance

Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
Words: 25,848
Reading age: 8–12
Audience: Middle Grade
Lexile: 850L

Themes & topics

Books about mother-daughter relationships Books about feelings and emotions Books about foster care Books about family Books about San Francisco

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.5

out of 7

5.5

“This meaningful book about a girl named Marin and her journey in finding a new mother is moving and beautiful, though it's not all sunshine and daisies. I think this is a great read for kids to learn more about foster children and gain empathy and understanding what it might be like for them. The only note I have is that the social worker does end up breaking the rules and not reporting Marin's "running away" incident so that the family can move towards adoption--which is good for this family, but it does show that she broke the rules to make it happen.”

B is for Bookworm

Trusted reviewer

For readers who can't stop at one