Spuds

Book excerpt: With the thought of Ma working so hard for so little, Maybelle and her brothers brew up an idea to surprise her. They will rescue the stray potatoes from a farmer's field that were just left to rot in the ground. As the children gather "spuds" in the frosty dirt under the blanket of night, they hide from passing cars in a joyful autumn-night dance. They can almost taste Ma's mouthwatering spuds--sliced thin as fingernails and fried up crusty brown, hot, and sparkling with salt. Won't Ma be surprised? But Ma's reaction to their good-hearted gift is not what the children anticipated. How will they set things right? Only Karen Hesse could construct such a delicate and delicious narrative, filled with stunning images and overflowing with love. Wendy Watson's glowing, moonlight-drenched art perfectly compliments the story.