After her mother's death, Julie goes to live with Aunt Cordelia, a spinster schoolteacher, where she experiences many emotions and changes as she grows from seven to eighteen.
A Russian aristocrat, having just returned from her exile in Paris, must deal with the fact that her family fortune has been squandered, and she may have to sell her mansion and her beloved cherry orchard.
When Angelo Coppola is tragically killed in a hit-and-run accident, the police are unable to track down the culprit, but Angelo's sister, Clare, cannot rest until she discovers the truth.
Proposes positive approaches to conflicts such as lack of family unity, discipline difficulties, sexual problems, loyalty issues, and getting along with new brothers and sisters which often become the points of contention in stepfamilies.
The author's grandmother, mother, and sister tell of their lives under apartheid in South Africa and their struggles to cope with abuse, gambling, drunkenness, and infidelity from the men they love who consider them nothing more than property.
Introduces families and encourages children to consider who they are through simple text and photographs of a girl, a boy, a brother, a sister, and other people. Includes notes for adults and related activities.
