Vulnerable

by Shirley Parenteau

Suddenly her world is badly shaken...

For the past fifteen years Laurel Grant has tried, almost successfully, to forget her first love, Gray Marshall. She's risen to the rank of vice-principal at her old high school and is managing to enjoy life. In fact, everything is going according to Laurel's "master plan" -- until Gray's daughter, Kristie, enrolls at the school.

Kristie lives with her mother and stepfather and suffers from normal adolescent growing pains, but Laurel suspects she's suffering from something more, something...hidden.

Then Gray reenters Laurel's life and she becomes enmeshed in a tangle of emotions. Kristie's in trouble -- and Gray refuses to believe Laurel's suspicions.

Should Laurel embrace her new-found love affair and ignore Kristie's problems? Can she separate her personal feelings from her professional responsibilities? Add to this Kristie's jealousy toward her and there is only one word for Laurel's predicament...

Vulnerable.

244 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 12, 1984

About the author

This is my second time around as a children's book writer. When my own 3 children were young, I had 8 books published. My children grew up and for a time, I wrote women's fiction. Now I have 6 grandchildren, all girls. I'm writing for children again and loving it!

One of my granddaughter's play with stuffed animals in a bookstore children's area led me to write Bears on Chairs, a picture book published by Candlewick Press. The bears have made friends around the world and are especially popular in translation in Japan where David Walker's adorable illustrations have captivated readers.

Bears on Chairs was followed by Bears in Beds and in 2014 by Bears and a Bath. Illustrator David Walker is currently preparing more adorable bear pictures for a fourth book, Bears and a Birthday.

While I hope to keep writing about these whimsical sweet-natured bears, I'm excited about a new project for older children. My oldest granddaughter when three participated in Hinamatsuri, a festival of dolls in Japan. Online research of the festival led me to the 1926 Friendship Doll Project when American children sent more than 12,000 dolls to children in Japan. I wanted to write about that beautiful hope for friendship between children in two countries. My middle-grade novel, Ship of Dolls, the first in a planned series will be published by Candlewick Press in fall of 2014.