Novels
Cheating for the Chicken Man
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Dutton Children's Books, 2015
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-525-42617-2
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-14-242742-2
Ages 10 and up
How far do you do to protect your brother? Thirteen-year-old Kate Tyler must ask herself this question when her older brother, J.T., returns home after nearly a year in a juvenile detention facility only to find himself ostracized and bullied as he attempts to make a fresh start... Kate and J.T. were first introduced in Red Kayak, the award-winning story of three boys caught up in a moral dilemma after a prank goes terribly wrong. Cheating for the Chicken Man brings J.T., Kate and Brady Parks together again as they struggle with the complicated issues of fairness, friendship, and forgiveness.
"Cummings touches on many issues, from environmental concerns to the pains of growing up, from antibiotic-resistant superbugs to forgiveness, yet ably manages to keep the story progressing engagingly. Minimal but sufficient back story allows this novel to stand alone."
- Kirkus
The Journey Back
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Dutton Children's Books, 2012
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-525-42362-1
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-14-242290-8
Ages 10 and up
Escaped and on the run, can Digger find redemption? His bold escape from a juvenile detention facility nearly kills him, but soon an angry fourteen-year-old Digger is on the run. When injuries stop his flight, Digger hides at a riverside campground, where he befriends little Luke and pretty Nora. New friends, a job caring for rescued horses, and risking his life to save another make Digger realize that the journey back is not just about getting home, it's about discovering what he's really running from, and how to come to terms with his troubled past. A companion book to Red Kayak.
"This high-action journey has suspense to spare, and the continual near misses will keep readers cheering for Digger."
- Booklist
Blindsided
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Dutton Children's Books, 2010
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-525-42161-0
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-14-241902-1
Ages 10 and up
When 14-year-old Natalie learns she will lose her sight she reluctantly enters a school for the blind. While she does as she's told, inwardly she hopes for the miracle that will save her sight. Ultimately, Natalie must decide how to go on when her future is not what she expected.
"The young character's courage is unforgettable, and so are the heartbreaking details."
- Booklist
What Mr. Mattero Did
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Dutton Children's Books, 2005
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-525-47621-4
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-14-240856-8
Ages 10 and up
Three seventh grade girls accuse their music teacher, Mr. Mattero, of touching them inappropriately. The story is told from two points of view: one of the accusing girls and also Mr. Mattero's daughter, who happens to be an eighth grader in the samemiddle school.
"Riveting and timely, this shocking slice-of-life drama is sure to keep pages turning."
- Publishers Weekly
Red Kayak
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Dutton Children's Books, 2004
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-525-47317-6
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-14-240573-4
Ages 10 and up
Living near the water on Maryland's Eastern Shore, thirteen-year-old Brady and his best friends, J.T. and Digger, become entangled in a tragedy that tests their friendship and their ideas about right and wrong.
"Voices ring with authenticity, the situation is tense and the stakes high... This book is a gem."
- VOYA
Saving Grace
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Dutton Children's Books, 2003
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-525-47123-3
Ages 9 and up
When Grace's family is evicted from their Washington D.C. apartment just before Christmas 1932 during The Great Depression, she and her younger siblings are placed in a mission. Grace's stay is cut short when she is invited to spend the holidays with the Hammonds, where they treat her like a daughter. What will happen when it's time for Grace to go home? Are family bonds more important than the security the Hammonds offer her? Inspired by a true story, Saving Grace is a testament to how love and loyalty triumphed during one of the bleakest periods in American history.
"Cummings does an excellent job of showing how easy it is to do wrong when the normal world operates so inequitably. The choices Grace must make are not clear-cut..."
- School Library Journal
A Face First
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Dutton Children's Books, 2001
Hardback ISBN: 978-0-525-46522-5
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-14-230247-7
Ages 10 and up
After a catastrophic automobile accident, Kelley wakes up in the hospital to find that her face and body are severely burned. She feels isolated and alone as she agonizes through skin-graft operations, painful dressings and hand exercises that seem like torture. But with the help of her family and friends, a kind nurse, and understanding doctors and therapists, she is able to survive and even triumph. Then she finds out that she has to wear an ugly plastic face mask so that her facial skin won't grow back puffy and hard. How will Kelley ever face the world again?
"Cummings... really shines in showing the careful balance of push, pull, and nurturing that must be maintained by the dedicated medical staff who choose to work with fire victims. She understands appearance-conscious adolescents, and leads readers to pull with Kelley in working through the layers of her inner being to reach beyond the mask."
- Starred Review, School Library Journal
Autumn Journey
By Priscilla Cummings
Published by Tidewater Publishers, 2008
Paperback ISBN: 978-0-87033-606-5
Ages 9 and up
When Will Newcomb's father loses his job, things start falling apart. The family's move to Grampa's farm in Pennsylvania is supposed to be a new beginning, but even there Will struggles with the change in his father... Autumn Journey is the story of several journeys, not just that of a Canada goose that Will has shot and nurses back to health. It is also the tale of a grandfather's love in the last days of his life, and of a family struggling to stay together in the face of hard times.
"The prose shows the ease and confidence of an old pro, and gives off the power of someone who understands well the human heart..."
- Kirkus Reviews