It's 1983, and twelve-year-old River Starling's life is anything but normal. She was adopted on a whim and came without a birth certificate. Her adoptive parents gave her up to her grandmother when she was only two, but River is certain her parents will come back. River's hopes fall apart when Gram uproots them from their farmhouse and decides to move to Birdsong, West Virginia, the most miserable town River has ever seen. There she makes an unlikely friendship with an unusual boy and learns about acceptance, hard work, forgiveness, and the love of Jesus. Discover the unforgettable story of one girl's search for a place to call home . "A Wonderful, Faith-Filled Story of Friendship and Growing Up" "What a wonderful coming-of-age story! This hope-filled story is told by River herself -- a smart, likable girl who is facing new challenges in the town she's moved to with her grandmother. I found myself cheering for River in the good times and crying with her in the bad. An unusual friendship, a school project, and the search for family anchor the themes. It's beautifully written and weaves faith into the story in a natural way." -By LoveBooks "My Name Is River is a terrific story for both young boys and girls and even those 'young at heart!' I enjoyed River from the first page right to the end! The author did a wonderful job and I would definitely recommend the story to anyone. Lots of unexpected happenings and I can't for her next book to follow River on her journey!" -By Amazon Customer "I just finished reading, My Name Is River. It made me laugh, made me cry and made me think. A great read. Perfect chapter book for grades 4-7." -By Amazon Customer "A touching and beautifully written story." -By Amazon Customer "This tween book is an excellent read for our young people who are searching for their own identity. There are some things in life that are most important, such as a person's relationship with God through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Wendy cleverly and tenderly weaves this eternal truth into her story to challenge the reader to draw closer to God no matter what's happening in his/her life." — Marsha Hubler In addition to being a writer, I work as a registered therapist with children who have special needs. As a therapist, I wanted to incorporate a character with a 'different ability,' such as William, who sustained a birth injury to one arm, known as a brachial plexus injury. William is a true-to-life 12-year-old boy who is independent, likable, and not ashamed of his difference. He is a true role model. 1 School Project + 1 Class Geek + 1 Town Bully = 1 Unexpected Summer Twelve-year-old River Starling's life is anything but normal. She always believed what she was told -- that she was adopted on a whim but then abandoned because she was too much trouble. But her grandmother didn't think so -- Gram stuck around to raise her. When River gets uprooted, her new life is off to a rocky start when she's assigned to a school project with William, the kid who fits her description of the class dork. River soon discovers things aren't always what they seem. She never thought William would become her best friend. And she never thought what happened next would happen either. No one saw that coming . . . not even her. Wendy Dunham  is an award winning author of two middle-grade novels,  My Name Is River  and its sequel,  Hope Girl,  as well as for the   early-reader series,  The Tales of Buttercup Grove . She is also the voice of Reagandoodle, in  Reagandoodle and Little Buddy: The True Story of a Labradoodle and His Toddler Best Friend.  When she's not writing, Wendy works as a registered therapist with children who have special needs.