Back on the Map

With their mother long dead and their father unknown, eleven-year-old Penny Porter and her twin brother Parker have been bouncing around foster homes for as long as they can remember. Inspired by the historical figures in her favorite book, Penny likes to imagine who she could be related to. Sacagawea? Her genes would be good ones to have. Or maybe Gandhi, or Harriet Tubman. There are endless possibilities!But while Penny embraces the question marks in her family tree, she and Porter are both ready for a real home. Living with their aging, ornery Grauntie isn’t easy, but it’s better than other places they’ve been, and they don’t want to get moved again—or worse, split up. Penny believes the key to keeping them from being bounced to another new home is getting their town of New Hope, North Carolina back on the state map. And what better way to do that than to spruce up and sell New Hope’s Finest—an old orphanage that was supposed to reopen years ago as the best attraction ever, but never did.She’s got the creativity and the gumption to do it. And maybe knowing who you are doesn’t matter so much as knowing what you can do. But will that be enough to finally keep her and Parker in one place for good?

“You cannot help but fall in love with Penny Porter’s resilience, her wonder, and her heart as you join her journey to find a home for her and her brother. Read Back on the Map, and you’ll learn from Penny and her quirky, sweet town that that you can create your own hope and luck through positive attitude, hard work, and love.” —Tricia Clasen, author of The Haunted House Project“Oh, how I wish Penny Porter from Back on the Map would come to my town with her indomitable spirit and contagious creativity! She’s the kind of character who makes extra delicious lemonade from the lemons life gives her. You’ll be a fan of plucky fifth grader Penny, her twin brother Parker, and the townspeople of New Hope. In fact, Penny’s gift for seeing the colorful potential in people may just rub off on you!” —Bibi Belford, author of Canned and Crushed and Crossing the Line“Scott’s heartwarming tale of one girl’s hope and determination, spotted nicely with acceptance and just the right amount of secrecy, will be an inspiration to readers of all ages.” —Lisa Fowler, author of Snakes and Stones“Lisa Ann Scott has charmed me once again with Back on the Map’s quirky, unforgettable characters. Uniquely talented, mixed-race twins Penny and Parker will make any reader identify with what it means to be different. And Penny’s personal journey to discover who she is and where she belongs makes Back on the Map a heartwarming tale of loss and making one’s own place in the world. —Christine Kohler, author of No Surrender Soldier

Lisa Ann Scott has been a TV news producer, reporter, and anchor, and she currently works as a voiceover artist. She lives in upstate New York with her husband and two kids. HarperCollins published her middle grade novel, School of Charm, in 2014 and her new early chapter book series, Enchanted Pony Academy, will soon be published by Scholastic.