Wholesale Lottery Rose by Irene Hunt

[Margaret K. McElderry Books] A boy learns what it means to give and receive love in this beautifully refreshed edition of Lottery Rose from Newbery Award–winning author Irene Hunt. Georgie Burgess doesn’t talk about the abuse that he receives from his mother and her boyfriend. Even though he’s constantly getting into trouble at school, he continues to hide his hurt, refusing to tell anyone what life is like at home. Instead, he finds escape between the pages of books depicting beautiful gardens and flowers. When Georgie wins a small rosebush in a supermarket lottery, he gives it all the love and caring he’s never had. Soon after, his life begins to change when child services remove him from his mother’s care and look for a new, safe home for him. But all the while, Georgie still needs to find a home for his rosebush, and through the people he meets, he slowly learns what it means to be loved and accepted.