Beginners Welcome

The acclaimed author of Where the Watermelons Grow is back with a story perfect for fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Ali Benjamin, about finding friendship after a tragic loss.

It's been eighty-three days since Annie Lee's daddy died, but she still sees reminders of him everywhere. His record player mysteriously plays his favorite songs, there's shaving cream in the sink every morning, and the TV keeps flipping to the Duke basketball games he loved.

She knows Mama notices it too, but Mama's been working around the clock to make ends meet. To make matters worse, Annie Lee's friends ditched her over the summer. She feels completely alone-until she meets Mitch.

Though Mitch is tough and confident on the outside, she may need a friend just as badly as Annie Lee. But after losing so much, Annie Lee is afraid to let anyone get too close.

And Mitch isn't the only friend trying to break through Annie Lee's defenses. Ray, an elderly pianist who plays at a local mall, has been giving her piano lessons. His music is pure magic, and Annie Lee hopes it might be the key to healing her broken heart. But when Ray goes missing, searching for him means breaking a promise to Mitch.

Faced with once again losing those who mean the most to her, Annie Lee must make a choice: retreat back into her shell, or risk admitting how much she needs Mitch and Ray-even if it means getting hurt all over again.

Just like in her debut, Where the Watermelons Grow, Cindy Baldwin brings her signature twist of magic to this authentically heartfelt story.

A Whitney Award finalist

An AML Award finalist

What will it take for a girl who's lost so much to learn how to let people in?

• Dealing with Grief: Annie Lee's world shattered when her daddy died. Now, mysterious reminders of him keep appearing, making it almost impossible to move on.
• Making New Friends: After her old friends disappear, she meets Mitch-a tough skater girl who might need a friend just as much as she does.
• The Healing Power of Music: When she meets Ray, an elderly pianist at the mall, his magical music offers a glimmer of hope for her broken heart.
• A Heartfelt Mystery: Just as Annie Lee starts to trust Ray, he vanishes without a trace, forcing her to risk everything to find him.