A Smidgen of Sky

Ten-year-old Piper Lee learns to open her heart to a new life after the loss of her father in this quaint Southern-flavored debut novel. It's been four years since the plane Piper's father was flying near their Georgia town disappeared, but she still holds hope that he could be found. Her mother, meanwhile, is planning to marry a man named Ben, netting Piper a new stepfather and an annoying stepsister named Ginger%E2%80%94change that makes Piper feel unsettled and disloyal to her father. When Piper's plans to derail the wedding and find her father go terribly wrong, she creates more heartache than she could have imagined. Winget's poignantly flawed characters and honest emotional circumstances draw readers into a story that feels like it's set in a simpler time and place%E2%80%94where kids ride bikes to the library, attend vintage car shows, and parents spout phrases like "cute as a speckled pup." Though a subplot involving the Internet and a potential child molester has an unsatisfying conclusion, Winget provides a cozy, family-centric read with a well-deserved happy ending. Ages 9%E2%80%9312. Agent: Mary Kole, Movable Type Management. (Nov.)