The Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt

This is one of my personal favorite read-alouds...

The Lottery Rose refers to the one thing that Georgie, a seriously abused little boy, has ever owned: a scrap of a rosebush that he won in a grocery store lottery.
It's in need of planting, although there are few options for a boy who lives in a city and has no yard, not to mention food, parenting, or love. Even at school, there is no safety or understanding.

When he arrives home with his precious bush, his mother's boyfriend is there to greet him with a beating. This shifts everything in Georgie's life since it leads to the removal from his abusive home to a school run by nuns.

At this school, Georgie finds a home for his rosebush, and he begins to find people to trust in. But he also encounters another person in need of healing, and their futures become entwined.

This is a beautifully-told story. I appreciated the accurate and uplifting portrayal of the Catholic school.

The abuse Georgie first suffers is not detailed, but that and the death of a small child might be too much for sensitive tweens.

Safety Rating: 2 Vatican Flags; High Readability