Ten-year-old Mary Mae loves to sing hymns with her Granny, go to Sunday School, and learn about trilobites. She has lots of questions about how the earth looked millions of years ago. Trouble is, Mary Mae’s mother thinks it's wrong to believe the world is that old. Mama believes God created it six thousand years ago and she believes that nobody should teach Mary Mae otherwise. When Mary Mae starts taking her questions to church, asking how God created the earth in six days or how eight people could take care of animals on an ark, Mama puts her foot down: homeschooling. Mary Mae must decide where her loyalties lie: with science and Miss Sizemore, with God and Mama, or somewhere in the middle.

A girl with Appalachian roots has plans for her Cincinnati neighborhoodEleven-year-old Mary Mae Krebs dreams of being a famous singer-songwriter someday. And it''s going to be made possible by her great-granny''s guitar and box of music. But as much as Mary Mae thinks about her future, she''s also got a heart big enough to worry about other folks and their futures. She''s organizing a carnival to benefit Little Lukey, a two-year-old boy with a heart murmur, and she''s worried about the family''s boarder, Annabelle. Annabelle''s been like an older sister to Mary Mae, so Mary Mae hates to see her making bad choices when it comes to love. But nudging Annabelle in the right direction means opposing a mighty force: Mary Mae''s mother. Mrs. Krebs is convinced that Leroy, assistant manager of the Rise''n''Shine Poultry Company, is the man for Annabelle. Mary Mae doesn''t like Leroy at all, and things start looking a whole lot worse when he and Annabelle get engaged. In a laugh-out-loud story about bluegrass, love, and a carnival, Sandra Dutton introduces readers to a plucky young girl who is sure to get heartstrings thrumming.

Ten-year-old Mary Mae loves to sing hymns with her Granny, go to Sunday School, and learn about trilobites. She has lots of questions about how the earth looked millions of years ago. Trouble is, Mary Mae’s mother thinks it's wrong to believe the world is that old. Mama believes God created it six thousand years ago and she believes that nobody should teach Mary Mae otherwise. When Mary Mae starts taking her questions to church, asking how God created the earth in six days or how eight people could take care of animals on an ark, Mama puts her foot down: homeschooling. Mary Mae must decide where her loyalties lie: with science and Miss Sizemore, with God and Mama, or somewhere in the middle.

A girl with Appalachian roots has plans for her Cincinnati neighborhoodEleven-year-old Mary Mae Krebs dreams of being a famous singer-songwriter someday. And it''s going to be made possible by her great-granny''s guitar and box of music. But as much as Mary Mae thinks about her future, she''s also got a heart big enough to worry about other folks and their futures. She''s organizing a carnival to benefit Little Lukey, a two-year-old boy with a heart murmur, and she''s worried about the family''s boarder, Annabelle. Annabelle''s been like an older sister to Mary Mae, so Mary Mae hates to see her making bad choices when it comes to love. But nudging Annabelle in the right direction means opposing a mighty force: Mary Mae''s mother. Mrs. Krebs is convinced that Leroy, assistant manager of the Rise''n''Shine Poultry Company, is the man for Annabelle. Mary Mae doesn''t like Leroy at all, and things start looking a whole lot worse when he and Annabelle get engaged. In a laugh-out-loud story about bluegrass, love, and a carnival, Sandra Dutton introduces readers to a plucky young girl who is sure to get heartstrings thrumming.