Magnolia Award Nominee
2011 Alabama Library Association Children's Book of the Year
Crystal Kite Award Finalist
SIBA Book Award Finalist
Bank Street College Best Book
ALSC Notable Children's Book Nominee
Kentucky Bluegrass State Finalist
Top Ten Alabama Books List
IndieNext Kids List Spring 2010
Magnolia Award Nominee
2011 Alabama Library Association Children's Book of the Year
Crystal Kite Award Finalist
SIBA Book Award Finalist
Bank Street College Best Book
ALSC Notable Children's Book Nominee
Kentucky Bluegrass State Finalist
Top Ten Alabama Books List
IndieNext Kids List Spring 2010
Ludelphia Bennett may be blind in one eye, but that doesn't mean she can't put in a good stitch. In fact, Ludelphia sews all the time, especially when things are going wrong. But when Mama gets deathly ill, it doesn't seem like even quilting will help. Mama needs medicine badly - medicine that can only be found in Camden, over forty miles away. That's when Ludelphia decides to do something drastic - leave Gee's Bend.
Beyond the log cabins, orange dirt, and cotton fields of her small sharecropping community, Ludelphia discovers a world she could never have imagined. Fancy houses, cars, and even soda pop! But there's also danger lurking for a young girl on her own, and Ludelphia begins to wonder if she'll ever see Gee's Bend or her Mama again. Despite the twists and turns, Ludelphia weathers each challenge in a way that would make her mama proud, and may even save the day not just for Mama, but her entire town.
Set in 1932 and inspired by the rich quilting history of Gee's bend, Alabama, LEAVING GEE'S BEND is a heart-touching tale of a young girl's unexpected adventure.