The Pinballs

The Pinballs

By Betsy Byars

This is an endearing story about three kids in foster care for various reasons.  Carlie is there because of an abusive step father that her mother just could not part with, so she sent Carly away. Harvey’s mother ran away and his father drank the memory of her away and blamed Harvey for much of it.  The state took Harvey away from him when in a drunken rage, he backed over Harvey’s’ legs.  Little Thomas J. had been orphaned as a toddler and taken in by two old sisters who simply grew too old to take care of him.  The Masons were unable to have children of their own so they began fostering children.  The bond that developed between hard nosed Carly, quiet and damaged Harvey and curious and proper Thomas J. was touching.

This book, although controversial, should be one offered as a classroom read aloud.  It looks deeply into friendship, trust and a child’s ability to move forward.  It’s topics of abuse and abandonment may be what keeps teachers from sharing this book with their students