Shortlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize "A magnificent debut filled with characters so vivid, strange, and richly imagined, you emerge feeling changed." —Sarah Shun-lien Bynum In New York City, a girl called Lenora vanishes without a trace. Years earlier and miles upstate, Goldie, a wild, negligent mother, searches for a man to help raise her precocious son, Paul, who later discovers that the only way to save his soul is to run away. The Sweet Relief of Missing Children is a suspenseful novel about the power of running and the desire for reinvention. It explores the terror and transcendence of our most central experiences: childhood, parenthood, sex, love.

Two seemingly separate stories from different points in time interconnect and provide clues to the disappearance of a missing New York City girl.

Two seemingly separate stories from different points in time interconnect and provide clues to the disappearance of a missing New York City girl.

Suggests activities to be used at home to accompany the reading of Miss Nelson is missing by Harry Allard in the classroom.

Lots of kids have a sweet tooth. But not like Stewart's. His very loud sweet tooth wants what it wants, when it wants it...and lets everyone know about it. Stewart's sweet tooth screams for cake at weddings, for candy during class, and torments him at the movies. Stewart has had enough, and he's bringing out the big guns -- a carrot. Can he stand up to the most annoying sweet tooth in history?

"A debut novel with a bighearted sensuality and a bull's-eye precision on a par with our best working writers today. A must-read." —Jan Elizabeth Watson, author of What Has Become of You and Asta in the Wings Good wife, good mother. That's all Claire Spruce is trying to be, but the never-ending snow in this new town and her workaholic husband are making her crazy. Even the sweet face of her toddler son can't pull her out of the dark places in her head. Feeling overwhelmed and alone, she reconnects with her long-lost high school boyfriend, Dean, who offers an intoxicating, reckless escape. But Dean's reappearance is not a coincidence. He wants something from Claire—and she soon finds that the cost of repaying an old favor may lead to the destruction of her entire life. What Burns Away is a story of loyalty, family, and the consequences of the past's inevitable collision with our future. "This novel is captivating...it moves fast, doesn't let you catch your breath, and leaves you shaken." —Sarah Braunstein, author of The Sweet Relief of Missing Children "A new mom's fiery first love is back, and he challenges all she's built for herself, revealing the fragility of suburban dreams." —Bill Roorbach, author of The Remedy for Love and Life Among Giants

Young children often experience anxiety when they are separated from their mothers or fathers. A young guinea pig expresses her distress when her mother and father go away. "Missing you is a heavy, achy feeling. I don't like missing you. I want you right now!" Eventually the little guinea pig realizes that sometimes she and her parents can't be together. When that happens, she knows that others can help. "They can snuggle with me or we can play. It helps me to be warm and close to someone. They remind me that you'll be back."