Raymie Nightingale

In the new book, ten-year-old Raymie Clarke grapples with the realisation that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. And she has a plan. If she can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. To win, Raymie must force herself far outside of her comfort zone to do good deeds and exhibit a talent for baton twirling. She also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship — and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways.