Billie Standish Was Here

Set in a small Missouri town in the 1960's, this novel explores the friendship between eleven year old Billie and her elderly neighbor, Miss Lydia. Billy is the victim of a heinous crime, and has uninvolved parents. Miss Lydia helps Billie deal with life issues, and also teaches her many valuable life skills. Overall, it is a well-written coming of age story for girls of all ages. A first novel by Minnesotan Nancy Crocker, it was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award in 2008.