Sara Lost and Found

by Virginia Castleman

Sisters Anna and Sara must rely on each other for strength as they face being separated by the foster care system in this heartwrenching tale of sisterhood, family, and survival.

Sara and Anna Olsen face an uncertain world. Their mother left home and may—or may not—be coming back. Their father is a drummer in a band and comes home long after the girls go to sleep—if he comes home at all. Too often, ten-year-old Sara and twelve-year-old Anna are left to fend for themselves. Then one night, three loud knocks at the door change everything: their father is in jail and social services has come to take the girls away. Rather than risk being split up, Sara and Anna decide their only option is to run away.

But the girls don’t get very far, and when the authorities catch up with them, Sara and Anna are forced back into the foster care system. Along the way, the girls encounter good people who want to help them but they also meet people who have no patience for mistakes or accidents. As Anna begins to act out or withdraw completely, Sara knows that it’s up to her to take care of her older sister. But what if she can’t anymore? What if she finds a forever home that may not include Anna? Will Sara keep the promise she made to her mother to stay with her sister or will she find the courage to do what’s best for herself?

Inspired by true events, this heartrending and hopeful novel of survival, friendship, and sisterhood, tells the tale of two sisters who must find the strength to face anything that life may throw their way.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fostering, Young Adult, Family, Childrens, Contemporary

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 9, 2016

Reviews

[Stephanie A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The blandest story I have ever read about foster care. I don't know if Sara was supposed to be dumb or just young/naive, but I had no patience for any of it.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many children in the foster care program are lost due to parents not providing the care every child deserves. Having volunteered at a foster care facility that housed over 45 children from ages 4 to 11 from all cultures, black, white, Hispanic, you see the need. The reason that they were pulled from their homes is usually due to their parents involved in illegal activities. From prostitution to drugs, these children do not know what a normal family looks like. Most of them have been sexually abused and are on some drugs to modify behavior. Sara's story is their story. A life that is lost due to her parent's bad choices. Sara learning to trust other's so that she can learn to love is one of the hardest obstacles a child of the foster care program can overcome. They are scared to trust only to find out they are once again pulled from a home or even worse, mistreated in the system that is to care for them.

Sara's story is one of hope. That there are people that truly care for the welfare of these children that have not been well-loved. Sara's story is also a voice for those children that because of the pain of abuse, have a tough road to overcome acting on their hurt and anger.

You will cry, have empathy, and be moved to make a difference in lives that matter. Not everyone is called to be a foster parent. The worst thing you can do is not be equipped and have a change of mind. Foster care children do not need another rejection. What they do need are volunteers to help them read, mentor, and to be available to organizations that help.

Some of the quotes that I found telling...

Warm cocoa is what safe tastes like.

Sometimes mean just happens.

This is a warm story to read. Sara's fight for love and a home. The torn feelings she has with her biological parents and those that foster her. Her desire to keep her promises to her sister that a 10 year old cannot keep. It is a reminder that we need to love our children well. Encourage them. Fight for them.

A Special Thank You to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sara, age 10 and her sister Sister Anna, age 12 are abandoned by their parents. Their mother left home with barely a goodbye and their father was is in jail and struggles with drug addiction. Soon the sisters, despite their pleas, are placed in foster care. Sara, although younger, protects her older sister who is fragile from all of the trauma she has been through and we learn that this is their second time through the foster care system.

Although the author, with her clear and crisp writing, allows us to feel the sisters intense pain over their losses and beautifully describes the conflict that Sara goes through as she realizes that her sister needs more help than she can give, I found it hard to fully immerse myself in the story. All I could think was that I have never heard or seen the social welfare system work as well as in this book. As a social worker I have seen hundred's of children go through the foster care system and it does not look like this. It is possible to have one good foster parent but I have not seen any kids go through the foster system (especially twice) and have such caring, astute, loving adults in their lives. Being in foster care is hard, and often borders on its own kind of neglect so it just felt surreal to read this story. So, three stars because of the portraits of two sisters who love each other, for a story that conveys the sadness and trauma of severe neglect but hampered by the picture perfect account of the foster system. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion.

[Martha Schwalbe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this story about Sara and Anna, two young girls in the foster system. I may be able to convince a couple of ninth graders to read it but beyond grade nine, I'm not sure there will be much interest.
I think it has an audience, just not in the young adult category.

[Janet Hutchinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Realistic details about the foster system and child abuse. I was hesitant to read it initially, but it was a nice, although maybe too pat, a story. Ends more or less wrapped up in a happy ending.

[Jane]

While it's great that the author is trying to illustrate the struggles of being in the foster care system, I never felt any emotional connection to this book. The writing style was so cloying and felt like it was trying too hard to move the reader.

The book is written from Sara's perspective, which is part of the issue I had with the writing. She didn't sound like a real child, but very much like an adult trying to sound like one. All of the characters are very one-dimensional and there didn't seem to be much thought given to any of them. Rather than actually examining the hardships both adults and children go through within the foster system, this is like the sappy, myopic Lifetime movie version. Sara and Anna are shuffled from family to family, but there's never the real sense that Mrs. Craig is being overworked, or that there are families that utilize this system to abuse children, etc. There is so much telling and very little showing, which affected the emotional resonance and character development (or lack thereof).

Some other aspects of the writing that rubbed me the wrong way:

I believe Pablo was the only non-white character and both his skin and eye color were compared to some kind of food.

Sara states that the Silvermans, for example, speak with an accent and are from Russia. She explains multiple times that 'something' sounds like it ends in 'ink'. MULTIPLE TIMES. If it needs to be mentioned at all, once is enough. Same for her doctor from Yugoslavia. It started to become a bit insulting to both the characters and myself as a reader. (Like, kids aren't dumb, you don't have to explain this so many times, especially when it's so unimportant).

There were also Christian undertones that were not to my tastes. Again, felt like a Lifetime or Hallmark movie. It wasn't super blatant or constant, which is what threw me off every time it came up. And, again, when it did, it sounded like a Hallmark card. I hate this in any medium, but I really despise when children are told that bad things happen to them because God wants them to experience whatever. I find that super messed up. It also brings me to a kind of a related point, which is it felt like Castleman really skirted the issue of abuse. Anna literally had cigarette burns on her arms. Why bring that up and not go back to it? Not that I really care to read child abuse on the page, but it struck me as insulting to ignore or hint at it.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that there was really weird dialogue about 'political correctness'. When the girls were planning on having a senior citizen home have kitten therapy, Sara kept referring to them as 'the old people'. Her foster dad was like, 'that's not politically correct,' and it's like...beyond the whole THAT'S NOT WHAT THAT MEANS and POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IS A TERM USED TO DEMONIZE PROGRESS, like, who would want to be called 'the old people'? It was bizarre.

The author is adopted, so though I admire the reasons she had for writing this, I didn't enjoy it and wouldn't recommend it.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Their mama left them a while ago and their daddy leaves them for long stretches at a time. The two girls know not to answer the door if anyone comes knocking and they know how to survive when the food runs out. They let their imaginations take control as they chew on stolen paper towels. These towels become a juicy cheeseburgers and long succulent hot dogs; it’s something that they trained their mind to do as they chew on the dry bits of cloth. The girls have each other as their mama told them to take care of each other and they can do just that.

Their story broke my heart. It seemed to begin when mama had been arrested for DUI and the girls were placed in separate foster homes. This separation broke Anna. The happy, fun- loving Anna returned to her sister Sara, broken and withdrawn with marks on her arms. She would not speak about what happened to her inside the walls of her foster home. The girls have had other experiences with foster families, some negative and some positive but their favorite place to be, is with the Silverman’s. They were grandparents to them. Daddy tries to be a good father but the bottle always calls for him and he answers, leaving him in shambles. He picks himself up, pays the price and tries to undo the damage that he has caused and starts over again. The bottle rules his world. The girls know the routine and with mother gone, they would rather stay home alone than be placed in foster care.

Home alone, the girls are startled when police and Child Services come to their door. Sneaking out, the girls take to the streets. They are welcomed at the Silverman’s, their first stop; a stop the girls wished would be their last. I loved the warmth and the gentleness that this relationship bestowed. Their father is in jail and the girls must be placed in temporary foster care so they are now moved to another home. In their new temporary home, the parents try to provide a loving environment and the girls try to adjust to their new home. Anna has difficulties, she lashes out and they are moved sooner than originally planned. I hated to see these children moved as if they were items instead of people with feelings and emotions. I realize that this is what happens in foster care, children being moved around but it was hard reading about the emotions these children were feeling. The girls just wanted to go home with their father where they had a routine, a routine that was familiar and comfortable for them but was not ideal for them. These children needed stability and love and someone to provide that for them. The title speaks for itself with Sara and as for Anna, she needed someone to help her overcome the issues that she was confronting so she could be successful. I really enjoyed this novel. I liked how it touched on foster care and the children who are affected by it.

[Ahedgehognamedmagnus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was touching and fantastic and I loved it. For me this novel stabbed a knife through my heart, the predicament that Sara and her sister Anna are in is heartbreaking. Within the first sentence of the book you already know how bad off they are, and really fall in love with the characters. I recommend this book to anyone with a heart, and just know that this happens in real life, outside the book. (I know, Crazy that there’s actually a world outside of books) Castleman dose a great job at showing what really happens out in reality while still making you want to read more.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Family, trust, and love. This book really gets to you, it opens your mind on what maybe other kids have to go through. It is written in the perspective of a young girl who has lost almost everything. The author lets you go through her journey through life and the obstacles that she has to overcome. “I wish all fighting would be like this, no hitting, no pain, just playful words bouncing back and forth.”- Sara-- there are some things in life worth fighting for. This book is all about the pain that you sometimes have to leave behind, the bond of siblings, and to always be grateful even when you have nothing. Even when you have to eat wet paper towels to survive, and you have to move every few weeks to a brand new house and a brand new family, because your own is broken. If you want a really sincere book that will really get you going, then this is the book for you.

[Malisa Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of my students recommended this book to me. After reading the back, I knew I wanted to read it.

I really enjoyed the story of the sisters who are struggling to get along without their parents. The main character's perspective sheds so much light on foster kids and the internal struggles they face. Not only was the story heart wrenching, but it was also filled with hope. When I realized this was based on the author's own experience, I liked it more.

[Zaynab · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a good storyline but something I didn't like was the writing technique not the sturtuce though. She could of have made is longer and clearer I was just left with a hundred questions exploding my head. Plus I even had a lot of questions in my head while reading. One thing I really didn't like was the other sister, she was SOO stubborn and stupid when she even was older than the other. I wouldn't at all reccomend reading this book.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Based on the fantastic opening of this book I thought I would be giving it more than 3 stars. With sloppy character development, 3 stars it is. First, back to that fantastic opening.

"Paper towels might seem like a strange thing to steal. I mean, I could have stolen some candy or crackers or something. But paper towels last longer than food. A roll of paper towels can feed me and my sister, Anna, for a whole week—sometimes more."

This kind of writing has an affect. I found myself very uncomfortable at the thought of kids eating paper towels. I was prepared for this book to have me in knots until the end. Unfortunately, it was strong out of the gate, but quickly tired.

The book opens with Sara and Anna awakened by a police officer and social worker at their door. Their mother took off a couple of years prior and their alcoholic dad stays gone for days at a time. Faced with the prospect of another foster home, they run out the back door and head across town to the Silvermans. The Silvermans are their favorite foster parents, but they only take temporary placements. They are moved to another temporary placement with another set of kind adults until Sara settles into a longterm placement. Anna is placed in a therapeutic facility instead of going with Sara to the long-term foster placement. Sara has a major problem with this at first, but eventually realizes that it's necessary for Anna to get help with her emotional problems. The Chandlers decide to adopt Sara, but Sara's reaction to this feels rushed and forced.

In the end, I did not feel moved by the book because the characters were flat. I did not feel the emotional tension that these girls would have been feeling after all they had been through. I was surprised when Anna ended up going to a residence home. As described, her behaviors did not reach the level of needing special care. It also surprised me that Anna was the older girl, because all along I thought Sara was the older one. Perhaps there were too many characters for the author to manage. In the future I recommend she stick to fewer characters so she can work on developing them better.

An example of a foster care book that fully develops the foster child and foster parent is One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt.

[Georgie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book the urging of my daughter, who picked this it up at the library. She picked it up because this story resonates with her. She was adamant that I read it and I think there was a message I needed in this book.

She and her sister experienced neglect and abuse in their home and were removed from the home. They were moved from one foster home to another before coming to us and eventually being adopted. We were open and honest with them when the topic of adoption came up; we told them we imagined the adoption process was a commingling of joy and sorrow but that we were going to help them navigate the feelings in whatever way we could. She cried her face off while reading this book; I cried my face off to read words that I’m certain my own daughters haven’t been able to say out loud to me.

There are so many kids in foster care and so many older children who may not ever get their forever home; the journey is hard for them and on them. Trauma creates feelings that dominate their lives and sometimes makes it difficult to get through to them. We have experienced so many crazy feelings of our own during our journey and it’s not always easy….BUT our girls are safe, they have food, and they have love; not just our love because we KNOW that, even though their parents struggled and couldn’t quite make it work, they love their girls in the best way they could given the circumstances. Addiction is ugly and changes people in the worst way possible but in my heart, I don’t believe it changes the love they feel as much as it changes the way they understand and know how to love.

Everyone should read this book whether you have adopted, are a foster parent, a parent who has children that have friends in the system, someone thinking about fostering/adopting…it will help provide a little insight to what these kids go through and maybe encourage you to take a step you’ve been hesitant to take but, if nothing else encourage compassion!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fast read. I picked this up because the other middle school in my district has a copy of it and I was considering purchasing it in my first large order of the year for my building. After reading it, I am still on the fence. For those who read these reviews with purchases in mind: this is a second purchase for those collections where realistic fiction, focusing on family dynamics and adoption, is in such high demand that you want extra titles to bulk it up. There isn't inherently wrong or bad about this title, it just deals with some very complicated issues in very simplistic ways. I prefer something like Forever or a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter if you want to see a realistic portrayal of the foster care system.

Sara and her sister Anna are waiting for their Daddy to come home. Of course, this time he's been gone longer than usual, meaning they are back to stealing things like paper towels and eating them a sheet at a time to seem full, but it's still not as bad as it could be. Until they get a knock at the door late one night and then Sara remembers what she told her Mama before Mama took off: she'll always take care of Anna. So, they run. But they can only run so far before they need help and they have to go to another foster home. And it will only last so long since Anna bites, and wets the bed, and doesn't speak more than two words at a time. Plus, Sara knows that Daddy will be home soon. Even though Ms. Craig says that this time is different and that he might not come home soon, or ever.

Even if they can find a family, is there any place that can take them together? Is that what's best for them? And, doesn't finding a new family and house to live in mean that Daddy and Mama aren't their family anymore?

[Ana(stasia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I did really enjoy this book, it was very sad and I was not fully satisfied with the ending. Not that it was bad, it just wasn't what I thought and it made me very sad and thought about it for a while after finishing it. I thought it was very sad when they separated the sisters and tricked Anna into going to a mental hospital so she can have special help. At the end, Sara only says that she hopes that Anna finds a nice home like she did one day. They might never see her again, and I didn't think about that till the end, when I thought they would be together. This really made me sad because I would be so sad if I were separated from my sister no matter how often we argue. But, I think it might have been a relief for Sara for a while because she did not have to take care of her 12 year old sister who should be taking care of Sara because Sara is only 10 years old. Honestly, I did not know that Sara was the younger sister until I took a closer look at the summary at the back.

[Ahny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story, Sara Lost And Found, written by Virginia Castleman, is about two sisters, Sara and Anna Olsen, who had a mom that ran away when they were younger, and a dad who hasn’t come home in a week. Their caretaker, Mrs.Craig, and the police knocked on the Olsens door, and the Olsens decided to run away, ending up at the Silverman’s house. Later on in the story, the Olsen sisters split up, Sara goes to a new foster home, and Anna goes to a treatment center. I really found this book to be very interesting and fun to read. The author, Virginia Castleman, used such details that it created a picture in my mind the more I read it. She made me want to keep reading the book because of the emotional and unexpected plots that happened. After reading this book, I highly recommend reading this book, Sara Lost And Found.

[Kristen EJ Lauderdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good writing. Spoiler alert: the ending for the sister was kind of a downer, which led me to bump this down from five stars. Also, I was disappointed in the Doctors without Borders family who didn't put their perfectly ordered lives aside to adopt the sisters together and let them keep their cat. Especially since they seemed largely equipped to deal with the special needs girl's issues. It kind of seemed like there are plenty of doctors out there who could have made a difference for sick people abroad, while families willing and able to take care of both of these siblings were few and far between. "How can people be so heartless? Especially people who care about strangers..." I did like the family the youngest ended up with though.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully revealing look into the foster home system. Even though good is intended for children who have abandoned, or orphaned, it is rarely the case. Not enough social workers and time, are the culprits of children falling through the cracks of the system. Being a foster parent is a tough way to be a parent to children who usually have psychological, physical or/and other issues that create a whole new ballgame in parenting. The children don't know who to trust, and often still love their abusive parents...not knowing any other kind of parental care.
I would recommend this book be read by all who are in this system, parents, foster parents. It may help the transition for all involved, and perhaps help a child in need to reach out for the help they deserve.

[Clarissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of two sisters who have been in and out of the foster care system because their parents are a hot mess of alcoholism and failure to properly adult. The older sister was assaulted during a previous foster care situation, and is now angry and nonfunctional. The younger sister Sara feels that she has to take care of the older sister. The book creates an unrealistically positive end scenario for Sara, but even so it is still a somewhat bleak story.

[Nicole Beyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me wish more families would consider fostering

Tough read. Well written as I felt such empathy for the girls. Glad it ended the way it did though it could easily have gone another way

[Debra McCracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tear-jerker, but knowing the author was an adopted foster kid really gives it credence.What we do with our children is a pretty telling picture of our society. Our foster/adoption system is flawed, but I am thankful for the good people in it who do their best.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious and heart-breaking story of sisters in the foster care system. Sara's love for her sister is fierce and I loved her for it. Great read that will made me stop and think about what all kids go through and endure.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sadly sweet story of a child trying to navigate a world of parents who can't care for her, a sister who can't care for herself and a foster system that fails more often than it succeeds. Good text for the middle school bookshelf.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written book for younger readers (maybe 12 and up). It is both heart-wrenching and heartwarming, and I feel it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of a child’s journey to and through foster care. I’m not a “younger reader”!but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Winnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sara Lost and Found was an emotional story about a girl forced into foster care because her mom ran off and her dad was deemed an unfit parent. Sara learns to trust those who are good to her, and to be proud of sho she is.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the book — great storytelling, emotionally captivating—until the end!! I hated the end!!! There are so many possibilities and opportunities to make the ending a climactic explosion but I felt the ending was a real disappointment.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. I would highly recommend it!!! The writing is pure and simple and conveys everything so you feel you are right there with the characters. My older daughter (6th grade) also thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Tom Mockensturm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an important read. So sad that we live in a world where so many can't get their lives together for the sake of their kids. I am so grateful for those who serve, for all the right reasons, as foster parents.

[Libby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cried my way through this beautiful book. Unforgettable.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a very cute book. Sara is a strong girl who you can't dislike. Although this book was pretty sad in parts, it was really nice.