Bloomability

My second life began when I was kidnapped by two complete strangers . . . That the kidnappers are actually Aunt Sandy and Uncle Max makes no difference to thirteen-year-old Domenica Santolina Doone, better known as Dinnie#8212;she just doesn't want to go. Dinnie's accustomed to change, with her family constantly moving for "opportunity"#8212;but when her aunt and uncle whisk her far away to an international school in Switzerland, she's not sure she's ready to face this "opportunity" alone. All at once she finds herself in a foreign country, surrounded by kids from different cultures speaking all sorts of languages and sharing various beliefs. Home and her first life seem so far away. But new friendships and the awesome beauty of Switzerland begin to unlock thoughts and dreams within her. Her joys and struggles make up a rich tapestry of experiences she can find nowhere else. Switzerland begins to be more than a temporary home#8212;it becomes a part of Dinnnie herself, the self she never knew she could be. Switzerland is the picturesque backdrop of Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech's new novel about a young girl discovering the beauty of nature, her place in the world, the value of friendship#8212;and that life is full of wonderful "bloomabilites." Set in the breathtaking landscape of Lugano, Switzerland, Bloomabilityis Sharon Creech at her very best.When 13-year-old Dinnie Doone is plucked out of her troubled life by her aunt and uncle and whisked away to an international school in Switzerland, her world is turned upside down. Suddenly surrounded by different cultures, languages, and beliefs, Dinnie struggles to holdon to her past life. Gradually, through friendships and experiences she could have nowhere else, she learns to trust herself and discovers the beautiful "bloomabilities" her new life has to offer.01 Blue Spruce Award Masterlist (YA Cat.), 00-01 Young Hoosier Book Award Masterlist (Grds. 6-8), Pacific NW Library Assoc. 2001 Young Reader's Choice Award Masterlist, and 00-01 South Carolina Book Award Masterlist(Grds 6-9) Young Adult's Choices for 2000 (IRA)