Mariel loves Loretta, the nurse who adopted her from the polio hospital where she was once a patient. But she secretly longs for her mother, who exists only as a faint memory. Brick loves his family’s apple orchard, the first real home he and his hard-working parents have had. When the orchard is devastated by fire, he must leave while his parents travel elsewhere to try to earn the money needed to keep the farm viable. Mariel and Brick both love the Dodgers and cheer their team on as it plays a winning season. When their paths unexpectedly cross, the two become friends who decide to work together to solve both their problems: finding Mariel’s lost mother and reuniting Brick’s family on the apple farm. Just like the occasional underdog team that rises to win the pennant, Mariel and Brick manage to answer their questions through their combined efforts and the strength of their friendship. (Ages 8–11)