United Tates Of America #01

United Tates Of America #01 by Danziger, Paula. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780590692212.

Best-selling childrens book author Paula Danziger brings us the perfect novel for middle grade readers--a touching story incorporating the themes of friendship,loss, love and perseverance. Skate Tate has just started middle school and everythings changing. Her friends and her school are different. Only her close-knit family seems the same. Great-Uncle Mort (GUM for short) is their center. GUM supports Skates dream of becoming an artist, encourages her to embrace new experiences and occupies many pages in her precious scrapbooks. When GUM dies unexpectedly, Skate must deal with a very painful change. GUM leaves the Tates his fortune on one condition--that they use it to travel and document their trips.