Across the Desert by Dusti Bowling
Each day it gets harder and harder for Jolene to hide the fact that her mother is a drug addict. She knows that if she asks for help, or draws attention to herself, that will inevitably lead to people finding out about her mother, and Jolene will get placed in a foster home. Mostly, Jolene spends her time in the local public library, reading, or working on her maps. She loves the days when she can sit and watch a live stream of a girl around her own age who takes up an ultralight and flies over desert areas in Arizona. Jolene loves to watch her and dreams of the day when she, herself, can escape and fly off somewhere fabulous. Usually, Addie, with her ultralight goes up for a while and entertains Jolene (who is always the only one watching the livestream) but then something goes horribly wrong, and Addie and her ultralight go crashing down to earth. Addie begs Jolene for help, but Jolene doesn't even know her real name, or for sure where she went down.
Recommended for grades 6 and up.
