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My So-Called Family
Brief Description
It's the first week of middle school, and Ash (don't call her "Ashley") already has a class assignment: Make a family tree. But how can Ash make a family tree if she doesn't have a family? Ever since she was four years old, Ash has been...
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September 2026
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My So-Called Family
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A moving middle-grade debut about foster care, self-advocacy, and realizing that a found family is a real family.
This "finely drawn and cleanly written" middle-grade debut about friendship, foster care, and realizing the true meaning of family "will give readers hope" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
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Description
It's the first week of middle school, and Ash (don't call her "Ashley") already has a class assignment: Make a family tree. But how can Ash make a family tree if she doesn't have a family? Ever since she was four years old, Ash has been in foster care, living with one so-called family after another. Now she's stuck with Gladys. And the only place Ash feels safe is in the branches of her favourite tree, drawing in her sketchbook, hidden from the view of Gladys' son Jordan.
As Jordan becomes harder to hide from, and more dangerous to be around, Ash isn't sure who she can trust. A new friend, an old friend, some teachers at school? Sometimes the hardest part of asking for help is knowing who to ask.
In My So-Called Family, Gia Gordon weaves a lyrical story about complicated family dynamics that's perfect for fans of Fish in a Tree and Counting by 7s.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781250324047
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 02 June 2026
Country: United States
Imprint: St Martin's Press
Audience: Children
DIMENSIONS
Width: 135.0mm
Height: 208.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 272
About the Author
Gia Gordon is an Illinois-based author, youth activist, and former educator who, during her twenty-nine years in the classroom, helped establish the school's conflict resolution program. She's co-founder of the non-profit Never Counted Out, which provides books to at-promise youth and community programs with limited-to-no access. When she's not writing, Gia can be found at home with her partner and two kitties, out thrifting, or turning no-longer-wanted household goods into beautifully painted designs at Salvage Art. My So-Called Family is her first middle-grade novel. giagordonwrites.com
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