Never That Far - Hardcover

Carol Lynch Williams, who grew up in Florida and now lives in the West, is an award-winning novelist with six daughters and one son. She has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College, and she won the prestigious PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. The Chosen One was named one of the ALA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and Best Books for Young Adult Readers and was featured on numerous lists of recommended YA fiction. Carol's other novels include Messenger, Glimpse, Miles from Ordinary, The Haven, Waiting, and the Just in Time series.

When Libby's grandfather dies, she's lost more than her best friend; she's lost the only person in the world who understands her. Libby's father, distraught at the loss of his own Pappa, has taken to his bed, ignoring Libby's grief. Right after Grampa's funeral, Libby is woken by his spirit in the middle of the night. He tells her she has the gift of Sight and that all of her relatives who have passed on will be able to communicate with her. Then Grampa issues her a challenge: she must find a treasure that he's hidden in the lake, and she only has a few days to do it. She sets out with the help of her two neighbors and against her skeptical father's wishes. Libby is a likable character who is a vital part of healing her father's enormous grief as well as her own. Though the story, set in Florida in 1967, is about death and grieving, Williams presents these themes in a sweet and positive light with a focus on family and healing. A good read for historical assignments and short enough that it may be an attraction for reluctant readers. Recommend to fans of Bridge to Terabithia. --School Library Journal

''Williams is an accomplished author with a polished, simple, lyrical style to her prose and authentic sounding dialect. The Florida setting, with its flat landscape, white sand, and Spanish moss, is uniquely visual....At its core, this is a raw and lovely account of what it's like to grieve.'' --Booklist