A Soft Place to Land

When Joy Taylor loses her home, she must also give up her friends, her school, and her dreams of becoming a great pianist. But when a new neighbor reveals the apartment’s secret hideout, Joy finds solace in a mystery letter writer there who seems to understand exactly what she’s going through. From the critically acclaimed author of From the Desk of Zoe Washington comes a compassionate middle-grade novel about the meaning of home—perfect for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and Rebecca Stead. When Joy’s dad loses his job, suddenly home becomes a tiny apartment with thin walls, shared bedrooms, and tense arguments between Mom and Dad. Hardest of all, without enough funds, Joy’s dreams of becoming a film score composer are put on hold. Joy’s friendly new neighbor Nora lets Joy in on the complex’s best-kept secret: the Hideout, a cozy refuge that only the kids know about. That’s where Joy starts exchanging messages with another kid in the building who also seems to be struggling, until—abruptly