THE LAURA LINE

With her signature humor and sparkling voice, Crystal Allen weaves a heartwarming story of one young girl’s journey to figure out where she comes from and who she can become.

Thirteen-year-old Laura Dyson wants two things in life: to be accepted by her classmates and to be noticed by ultra-cute baseball star Troy Bailey. But everyone at schoolespecially the popular Pink Chipsmakes fun of her for being overweight, and Troy will not give her a second glance. Until their history teacher puts Laura front and center by announcing a field trip to the old rundown slave shack on her grandmother's property. Heck to the power of no way! Her grandmother insists that it is more than just a shack; it is a monument to the strong women in their familythe Laura Line. Something to be proud of. But Laura knows better: If her classmates cannot accept her for who she is now, they never will once they see the shack. So she comes up with the perfect plan to get the field trip canceled. But when a careless mistake puts the shackand the Laura Linein jeopardy, Laura must decide what is truly important to her. Can Laura figure out how to get what she wants at school, while also honoring her family's past? From author Crystal Allen comes a touching and funny story of one girl's path to figuring out where she came from, and the unlimited possibilities of who she can become.

Crystal Allen is the author of How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy. The Laura Line is her second novel. She currently lives in Sugar Land, Texas with her husband, Reggie, and two sons, Phillip and Joshua. You can visit her website at crystalallenbooks.com.