Best of
Coming-Of-Age

1981

Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man


Fannie Flagg - 1981
    There, at The End of the Road of the South, the family malt shop freezer holds unspeakable things, society maven Mrs. Dot hosts Junior Debutante meetings and shares inspired thoughts for the week (such as “sincerity is as valuable as radium”), and Daisy Fay’s Daddy hatches a quick-cash scheme that involves resurrecting his daughter from the dead in a carefully orchestrated miracle. Along the way, Daisy Fay does a lot of growing up, emerging as one of the most hilarious, appealing, and prized characters in modern fiction.

Homecoming


Cynthia Voigt - 1981
    It's still true that their mother has abandoned the four Tillerman children somewhere in the middle of Connecticut. It's still true they have to find their way, somehow, to Great-aunt Cilla's house in Bridgeport, which may be their only hope of staying together as a family.But when they get to Bridgeport, they learn that Great-aunt Cilla has died, and the home they find with her daughter, Eunice, isn't the permanent haven they've been searching for. So their journey continues to its unexpected conclusion -- and some surprising discoveries about their history, and their future.

The Island Keeper


Harry Mazer - 1981
    But when she finally decides to return home, her canoe has been destroyed, and she faces the ultimate challenge in surviving the Canadian winter.

But We Are Not of Earth


Jean E. Karl - 1981
    Four students from Meniscus F on a mission to the far-away Sector 22 delight in the habitable but uninhabited planet they discover until they realize their pod mentor has plans he has not shared with them.

Nobody's Fault?


Patricia Hermes - 1981
    Emily likes to play baseball and tease her brother, but her happy life is interrupted when her brother has a fatal accident.