★ “Tubb deftly ingrains a thoughtful ethical question into the story (is Hope really helping people by assuaging their fears or simply ripping them off?) But never overdoes it in this bouncy tale populated by a terrific cast of characters.” ―Booklist
“[An] oft-engaging, pleasantly romantic romp through a fascinating time in America's entertainment history.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Tubb uses rich historical material well in this clever story… a good show with heroes, villains, and heart.”—School Library Journal
Selling Hope
Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
Feiwel & Friends / 2010
It's May 1910, and Halley's Comet is due to pass thru the Earth's atmosphere. And thirteen-year-old Hope McDaniels and her father are due to pass through their hometown of Chicago with their ragtag vaudeville troupe.
Hope wants out of vaudeville, and longs for a "normal" life -- or as normal as life can be without her mother, who died five years before. Hope sees an opportunity: She invents "anti-comet" pills to sell to the working-class customers desperate for protection. Soon, she's joined by a fellow troupe member, young Buster Keaton, and the two of them start to make good money. And just when Hope thinks she has all the answers, she has to decide: What is family? Where is home?