2008-2009 Alamance Reads Book Selection

When her daddy is sent off to fight Hitler, Ann Fay Honeycutt puts on the blue overalls he has given her. Now, at thirteen, she's the "man of the house," in charge of tending the large vegetable garden and watching out for her younger sisters and brothers. It's hard work, but Ann Fay is managing--until a polio epidemic strikes. At first she relies on the newspaper for information about the disease, but all too soon she knows its devastating effects firsthand. As the challenges grow, Ann Fay's resourcefulness and toughness grow as well.

At the root of this story about loss and the healing power of friendship is the "Miracle of Hickory," the real-life polio hospital built in Hickory, North Carolina, during the polio epidemic of 1944.

Blue by Joyce Meyer Hostetter

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