A Million Ways Home

by Dianna Dorisi Winget

A moving middle-grade story about love, loss, and the unlikely places we find home. Poppy's life has been turned upside down after her grandma (and guardian) had a stroke and ended up in the hospital. But Poppy is working on a plan to help Grandma Beth so their life together can go back to normal. But when she witnesses an armed robbery, "back to normal" slips even further out of her reach. To keep Poppy safe, the budget-strapped police devise an unusual "witness protection program," wherein Poppy will stay with Detective Brannigan's mother. Soon Poppy is feeling almost at home, even making sort-of friends with a girl named Lizzie and definitely friending Gunner, a beautiful dog with an uncertain fate. But it's still not home. So while she and Lizzie navigate a rocky friendship and plot to save Gunner's life, Poppy also tries to figure out a new plan to save Grandma Beth and their home, all while avoiding a dangerous robber who might be searching for her. But what if Grandma Beth can never come home and the robber is put behind bars? What will happen to Poppy then?

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Animals, Fiction, Family, Friendship, Childrens

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

Dianna begin writing at nine years old, when she would stuff notebooks under her bed to prevent prying eyes from seeing her wonderful masterpieces. It wasn't until graduating from high school that she finally admitted her love for writing.

With the support of her parents, she was able to enroll in the Institute of Children's Literature, a well-respected correspondance school. After completing both the basic and advanced courses, Dianna began selling short stories and articles to magazines such as Clubhouse, U*S* Kids, Child Life, and Good Reading for Everyone.

It wasn't until 2012, that Dianna realized her dream of writing middle grade novels for kids with the publication of "A Smidgen of Sky," (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) followed by the sequel, "A Sliver of Sun." She is also the author of "A Million Ways Home" published by Scholastic Press in 2014. Dianna is repped by Lara Perkins at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

Reviews

[Dianna Winget · Rating 5 out of 5]

So what if I wrote it, it's still one of my favorite dog stories ever. LoL!

[Maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the maybe best book that I have ever read, and you better believe that because I have a lot of good books that I have read over the years but this one could run for being the best. This is a very fast moving book and never gets at a slow point it was exciting and even good at the first page. I highley recommend this book to anybody looking for a good realistic fiction book or just a good book to read.

[4marina Nueckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a girl named Poppy who life was turned upside down when her grandma/ guardian had a stroke and at the same time she is also a witness of a crime and the person might be out to find her. One of the police officers lets
Poppy stay at his moms house for a while, every once and a while they go to the pet shelter. Every time Poppy goes she goes in the back and plays with Gunner a German Shepard. With the criminal looking for her, Gunner loving her and staying at a strangers house she is still trying to find a way to get her Grandma Beth living with her again.
I LOVED this book! The author gave great detail and left you on the edge of your chair. I would for sure recommend this book to my friends and family although at the end it might get a little bit scary for some people.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This middle-grade book was at our book fair last year and I finally got around to reading it. It really has everything tween readers will want (foster care, shelter animals, sick grandparent, witnessing a crime, grief, doing the right thing, friendship) without the risque teen drama parents sometimes worry about. Poppy is a brave character with some of the of same flaws 12-year-old readers will recognize and empathize with. I love the way cops are portrayed throughout the story, as well--they've taken a hit lately, and while I know that not all of them are fine, upstanding boys in blue, I have to admit to enjoying seeing them written that way in this one, particularly when they didn't have much bearing on the actual story (well, most of them anyway). Full of love and feels and drama.

[Willy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book. It was nice to see a girl that wants to visit her grandma to help them. Her life turned pretty bad until her Grandma ended up in the hospital. Poppy is like a dog lover and she fixes problems. My feelings about this book were pretty intense and scary. I recommend to share this book to my friends and I want to read this over again.

[Lauren Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first started reading it I couldn’t stop it was such a good book I could read this book a thousand times a day

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy Parker's holding on. She's holding on to the hope that her Grandma Beth will come out of the Huckleberry Home soon. She's was in the hospital for a while, and they just moved her to the Huckleberry Home. Poppy knows Grandma's really fine, she just NEEDS to visit her. They have to stick together! After both Poppy's parents were killed by terrorists, Grandma Beth and her have been inseparable. So now Poppy's living at the Home for kids. Ms. Austin, her social worker, won't take her to the Huckleberry Home till tomorrow, however. So Poppy sets out to the home by herself. On the way, she becomes lost. A kind cashier pays for Poppy's candy bar at a gas station. All Poppy wants is to be with Grandma Beth at their apartment. However, a crime at the gas station is going to make that a whole lot harder! Can Poppy and her new friends find the culprit to the gas station crime, help Grandmother Beth recover, AND help save a special dog?
This is such a great book. I cried four times at the ending, it was so good.

[Uzma Sheikh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is by far on of my favorite books!! It is about a girl named Poppy, an artistic and fun girl who had recently moved to a child care center because her guardian aka her grandma. She is determined to get her grandma out of the hospital and go home. But after witnessing a shooting and encountering the gunman at a gas station on her secret run away trip to grandma, the police take her in. She was too important since she saw the man. She meets Trey, the police officer responsible for the case, and even ends up living with his grandmother, who takes her to an animal shelter. She encounters many people, including a so called "dangerous" German shepherd named Gunner. She is determined to make her life and Gunners life better, but sometimes things don't go the way we want them to. Read the book and follow Poppy's journey through a great story about the "real world".

[Courtney McLean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy has been through so much already, yet she still has more to go. First of all her parents died when she was little. Now there is a dangerous criminal after her, her favorite dog might be put down, and her grandmother has a stroke. Could it get any worse for Poppy Parker?

I gave this book five stars because I couldn't put it down. I think this book was phenomenal and wouldn't mind reading it again. Poppy was a very brave and courageous girl, and that will teach other people to be that way to. I would recommend this book to people who like everyday mystery and adventure books.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not often do I discover an author who can cause me to love and empathize with the main character in a few pages. But this is one of those books. The characters come to life almost immediately.

By far this is one of the best middle grade books I've read, and I would highly recommend it whether you are a child or adult. You won't be disappointed.

[Lienne M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the book.

[Lynda Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think kids will love this story.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been getting book recommendations from a 10-year-old friend and she has exquisite taste. This is an extraordinary book and it takes kids seriously.

[Haile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a really good book with some sad and nice moments with some adventure. I suggest you to read it.

[Jennifer Notton · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book, A Million Ways Home, was written by Dianna Dorisi Winget, and the main character, Poppy Parker, lives with her Grandma Beth until she winds up in the hospital. Poppy has to live in the center with all the kids that don’t have a family until her grandma gets better. Will living with her Grandma ever be the same? Poppy is working on a plan to bring back her grandma from the hospital. Meanwhile, while trying to solve that problem, she drags herself into a whole new problem. She witnesses a horrible crime, which cost another person’s life.

Now Poppy has to worry about her grandma and the unfortunate promise that she accidently made to the criminal without thinking. When she meets Trey, a kind, sensible, and funny person, Poppy finds the urge to spill the beans, which she did. That causes even more worries for Poppy. The criminal is out there somewhere, watching, waiting, for the correct time to leap. That caused Poppy to be under witness protection, now she lives with Trey’s mother, who is just as kind and funny as he is. Will Poppy’s life ever be the same again?

This book would be great for 5th graders and up, and especially if they had ever faced a tragedy or ever been homesick for a long period of time. Kids can understand the way Poppy feels, and how there are many kind individuals to support them throughout their life. This book is pretty sad at the beginning, but it eventually turns into happiness and joy. I would rate this book a 5/5 because Dianna Dorisi Winget had balanced the sad part and the happy parts equally.

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy knows what she wants - to be back at home with her grandmother. But Grandma Beth is currently in a nursing home after suffering a stroke and there's no one to take care of Poppy, so she's put in an orphanage. She hates it there - her roommate, Sydney, is a bully and a thief, and none of the other kids are very friendly.

So Polly takes off on the bus to try to get to Huckleberry Homes, where Grandma Beth is. Unfortunately, she went the wrong way and, while trying to figure out a way to get back to the orphanage, she sees a man running from a convenience store. He sees her, too, and threatens her before leaving. He shot the clerk in the store, and Poppy is the only one who saw anything.

So now not only does she have to worry about her grandmother, Poppy also has to worry about this guy who may try to hurt her for seeing him. So she winds up staying with the mother of a police officer, Trey, who wants to keep her safe.

Marti, Trey's mom, isn't so bad - she's caring and funny and she also works at the local animal shelter with Connie, who is mother to Lizzie - a girl who did something bad and has to do community service for it. And Poppy loves dogs, so seeing these dogs makes her very happy. There is a handsome German Shepherd at the kennel, a dog named Gunner, who is in isolation. He was turned in for biting the son of his owner - and Connie can't adopt him out because of that black mark.

A really involving story with engaging characters dealing with some tough decisions and life in general.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book for all ages! Especially if you are a dog enthusiast. This is a heart warming story about friendship, family and those who change your life when you least expect it.

[Dakaria Scherr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A girl witnesses a robbery/murder and is the only one who has seen the suspect face. She goes into witness protection program and the suspect is still on the loose.

[Frankie Calabrese · Rating 4 out of 5]

In A Million Ways Home, Poppy parker is a dog lover who lives with her grandma. But when her grandma has a stroke and has to stay in the hospital, and poppy witnesses an armed robbery, her life is turned upside down. Poppy stays with the mom of Trey, a police officer while her grandma is in the hospital. She makes friends with both a girl named lizzie and a dog named gunner. In my opinion, the character poppy was a bit annoying because she believed she was always right, but the story didn’t get boring for even a second. I really liked this book, it was funny and exciting and the end was so sad that I cried.

[Soha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite book in the history of books love it

[kate :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING

[rashika]

read this book in like 5th grade and then read it again for funsies

[Beverly Zearley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book that I read to keep up with my fifth graders at my school. I loved the story!! And fell in love with the characters, wonderful!!!

[Celeste_pewter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: middle grade novels often surprise me with their innate understanding of the fine line between childhood innocence and the first step toward growing up, an idea that Dianna Winget beautifully approaches in A Million Ways Home.

Twelve-year-old Priscilla "Poppy" Parker has had a tough time recently. Her grandmother recently suffered a stroke and is now in care, and Poppy has to live in a children's home while her grandmother recovers.

But when a mistaken trip ends with Poppy witnessing an armed robbery, she's farther away than ever from her once uneventful life with her grandmother. She's living with a police detective's family, as she tries to adjust to her new normal, and trying to figure out how to find her way home again.

From the start, Winget's story of a young girl who is asked to take on far more responsibility than her years, is a thoughtful and engaging one. Readers never doubt that Poppy is facing obstacles like her grandmother's illness that far exceed her age, but we can't help but also be impressed by her willingness to take them on - e.g. her repeated attempts to try and break her grandmother out of her care facility.

Winget is especially adept at showing how Poppy's innate willingness to take on challenges (or as her grandmother would say, make "impulsive" decisions), becomes a way for her find her inner courage, after she witnesses the armed robbery and moves in with the Brannigans.

Poppy is repeatedly asked to think beyond her own self-interests, in a (respectful) way that make her question what kind of person she is, and who she wants to be. She's often given the choice of making tough decisions - e.g. thinking beyond her own living situation to aide the police investigation - and Winget does a nice job of showing the pros and cons of those actions, and how choosing between the two continues to help Poppy grow up.

Outside of Poppy's living situation, Winget also does a fine job of showing how sometimes, misunderstood individuals of both the two-legged and four-legged variety just need some love and patience to find their own way. Both Gunner and Lizzie get second chances to prove themselves, and it's thanks to the love of Poppy, their friends and family that they succeed.

Though the ending of A Million Ways Home is not a perfect one, it's beautifully realistic and ultimately ends on a hopeful note. I can easily see readers feeling like Poppy is finally getting the life she deserves, while also having many questions about her future.

Of special note: Winget is especially adept when it comes to addressing family issues at a multitude of levels. She manages to cover subjects ranging from deceased parents to what it means to become the kid of divorcees, in a way that is both age-appropriate and respectful of the situation.

I was especially struck with an anecdote that Detective Brannigan shares about his experiences with domestic violence. It's a side story that is discussed in a few brief paragraphs, but it gives readers the type of background on the detective and his commitment to protecting Poppy, which will undoubtedly invoke healthy discussion.

Educators and parents will likely appreciate the number of serious issues that Winget has interwoven into her novel, and how younger readers will have a model in Poppy to see how one young person approaches those issues.

***

Final verdict:

I loved A Million Ways Home. Dianna has written a lovely, quiet story on a girl who is able to find inner courage and adapt to a new life, in spite of being asked to face some challenges that are far beyond her years.

This book very much emphasizes the idea that love in all of its forms - whether it's the love between a grandmother and a granddaughter or the love between a misunderstood dog and a lonely girl - can help people through difficult times and will always help people find their way home.

Younger readers will undoubtedly find much to relate to in Poppy's journey, from her special relationship with her grandmother, to her resourcefulness at adapting to living with the Brannigans, while older readers will likely appreciate Winget's subtle (but well-received!) message that family can exist in many forms, and you can depend on them to get you through the tough times in life.

I highly recommend this book for all readers, but especially fans of Laurel Snyder, Natalie Lloyd and Laura Golden. This is a hearty contemporary tale about family and love, which will stay with readers long after they've finished reading.

[Camdyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dianna Dorisi Winget's novel, A Million Ways Home is a heartwarming, loving, and adventurous story. This book is about a young girl named Poppy who's grandma, and also guardian, has a stroke and is sent to the hospital. Also while this is happening, she witnesses a robbery and she thinks nothing could go back to normal know. But, the robber might be after her, so to be safe a police officer sends her to stay with his mother. His mother works at a dog shelter and Poppy soon has a special connection with one special dog named Gunner.

She also starts to become friends with a girl named Lizzie, and she starts to feel at home. But, while this is all happening she's still trying to save her home and her Grandma Beth. This book is very interesting because it has lots of good and rough moments, but I think this book is very entertaining.

[Suzanne]

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melanholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life fefore we can enter another." Poppy, the main character in A Million Ways Home by Dianna Dorisi Winget, is plagued by changes. Since her parents died in Africa when Poppy was young, she has lived with her Grandma Beth. She loved her life. Then Grandma Beth has a stroke and must go to the hospital. Poppy had to move to a home run by child services. Then, she witnessed a man running from a crime scene where he shot a cashier. She told him her name. Now, she is living with a policeman's mom until Grandma Beth gets well. Grandma Beth has another stroke. Change.

This is a sweet book with a twisting plot that kept me interested,

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another. Anatole France"

An unwelcome change has come into Poppy's life. After the death of her parents when she was a baby, Poppy has always lived with Grandma Beth. But now that Grandma Beth has had a stroke, Poppy is staying at the North Shore Children's Center while her grandma recovers. But Poppy is a fixer and impulsive and wants to help her grandmother. So, she takes matters into her own hands and begins to walk to the hospital. It is during this ill-advised journey that she witnesses an armed robbery and sees the suspect who committed the fatal shooting. Because of this, Detective Trey Brannigan comes into her life.

As they investigate the murder, Poppy is placed with Trey's mother, Marti, to keep her safe. But Poppy is frustrated, feeling that she should be taking care of her grandmother, and continues in her impulsive ways. She makes dangerous choices and Trey responds by locking up her bicycle. It doesn't feel like her life anymore. "I felt like I was free-falling with no bottom in sight."

But there are bright spots to living with Marti. She's a very nice woman and she takes Poppy to the Spokane Animal Shelter where she volunteers. It is here that Poppy meets Gunnar, a German shepherd that has been "sentenced to death" for his aggressive behavior. She also gets to spend time with Lizzie, a girl doing community service for some of her bad choices. Poppy, ever the impulsive fixer, begins to positively impact the lives of both of these characters. And, as a new truth comes into Poppy's life, she's going to need these new friends to help her weather the storms. "Truth wasn't always soft and fuzzy and warm, sometimes it was cold and hard as steel. But whether it was easy to hear or not, truth was truth."

I love the theme of redemption running throughout the novel for many of the characters: Trey, Lizzie and even Gunnar. Poppy is a wonderfully caring character whose heart often rules her head and she pays the consequences, at time. She is passionate, determined and works to make positive changes in the world. Her underlying, complex feelings (and motivations) about her parents make her an interesting character for middle grade readers to get to know and try to understand. A definite addition to my school library collection.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly some of the best middle grade I’ve ever read, and to think I nearly took this off my tbr multiple times.

Such a wonderfully bittersweet story about love and friendship and coming to terms with hard things. I personally enjoy when middle grade books don’t try too hard to make everything too positive and happy. Even a book aimed at children should be realistic, so I liked this book had its happy moments but had a darker undertone as well.

We follow a young girl named Poppy who lives with her grandmother until she has a stroke, which derails Poppy’s whole life. Attempting to go to the hospital to see her Grandmother, Poppy sneaks out by herself where she witnesses a crime. She ends up staying with the mother of one the cops in order to protect her, and also ends up volunteering at an animal shelter where she meets and bonds with a troubled Shepherd named Gunner.

The story is short and eventful. For such a tiny book at 242 pages it really packs a punch I wasn’t expecting.

I was talking recently about how I shouldn’t read books with dogs in them because I’m inevitably going to be upset about something with the way the author portrays dogs or rescues, but this one makes me take that back. I guess I just haven’t been reading the right stuff, because this one handles dogs and animal rescue very well. Poppy is understanding toward the dogs, the shelter is portrayed in an accurate and positive way, and we got a little paragraph about a Pit Bull that talked about them positively. Poppy’s relationship with Gunner is rather touching and poignant as well. Awesome to know there are some books that know how to include dogs!

As far as characters go, Poppy makes some stupid (but understandable) decisions, but she’s a very easy character to like. The story features some wonderful relationships between Poppy and the people she encounters, namely with a young girl named Lizzie. It was such a great portrayal of female friendship!

Quite recommended for both younger and older readers! The writing style is to the point but not overly simplistic, so I don’t see why an adult couldn’t enjoy this too! I’m really glad I ended up reading this one; it really goes to show that sometimes taking a chance on a somewhat obscure book can pay off.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a confession to make. This book would have rated higher, but it made me so angry that I had to bump a star or two. Overall, it was a good book. I loved the message it provided, however, I wouldn't dare put this in the hands of anyone younger than 12 or 13. As cute as the cover is, this was a hard book. Twelve year old Poppy is having to live in a children's shelter because her grandmother (who is her sole caretaker since Poppy's parents died when she was a baby) had a stroke. The novel begins when Poppy is the only person who can describe a man who robbed a convenience store. Not only that but the super nice cashier lady (who we meet briefly) is murdered in the process. Guys, that pretty much sums up the first three chapters. And to be honest, it only gets worse from there. Sure, Poppy meets some super great people and there are dogs too. She makes a few new friends and has to learn to grow up a little through this process. However, not only does she dragged into a police investigation, Grandma Beth has yet another stroke which eventually leads to her death. So now Poppy has no family except for Officer Trey and his mom Marti. I will give this book that. The adults in this book amaze me. Sometimes the main character is misunderstood by all and no adult can help solve their problems because of various reasons. Not in this case. These are the adults you wish each child could find. They are genuinely nice and full of wisdom, not just present for some comic relief. So while I was deeply angered at the death of Grandma Beth, the other characters made up for her loss.
In general this book was so much deeper than I thought it would be. I'm glad I read it because it dealt with some heavy content which kids needs to be exposed to. However, as sad as it was, things work out in the end. To me, this little girl deserved a break and she finally got one. Truly a great piece of work.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite Book I have read in a long time My favorite part was when she was trying to baby sit and she had no idea what he was doing that was so funny I hope ever one who read this book love it as much as i did.