Named as one of the 100 best books published for young adults in a 25 year period, The Year Without Michael is the story of a family torn apart when 12 year old Michael disappears one day while going to a friend's house. Told from the viewpoint of Michael's sixteen year old sister, Jody, the novel explores the emotional agony of a family forced to struggle with unanswerable questions while coping with daily routines and stresses. Stylistically similar to New York Times best selling author Susan Beth Pfeffer's novel Life As We Knew It, and as emotionally compelling as her most recent novel, Blood Wounds, The Year Without Michael is a classic novel for middle school and high school students and perfect for classroom use. "A book that offers a sensitive and probing view of a contemporary family in agony. Though it is characterized as contemporary fiction for young adults, The Year Without Michael...should appeal to readers of all ages." New York Times Book Review The Year Without Michael is a South Carolina Young Adult Book Award winner, as well as an ALA Best Book For Young Adults, a School Library Journal Best Book, and a Booklist Editor's Choice.