The book is about a boy named Georgie who gets abused by his mother and her boyfriend, Steve. Georgie wins a rose bush at a grocery store lottery, and becomes very close to it, but when he takes it home, Steve beats him with a chair leg and he passes out. He gets sent to a school house in the country, and he tries to plant the rose bush in the neighbor's garden, but she catches him. They have a big fight about him sneaking his rose bush into her garden, and Georgie becomes really mad at her, but when Georgie gets really sick, Mrs Harper comes over to meet him and they come to an understanding. He also meets a little boy named Robin that he becomes very close friends with, and they spent most of they're time together. Then, Robin drowns by trying to feed the ducks, and Georgie plants his rose bush by the 3 year olds grave. ( )

After years of physical abuse at the hands of Georgie’s mother’s boyfriend, Georgie is sent to live at a boys home run by nuns. The one light in his life is the rose bush he won in a drawing and that he is determined to plant in the Harper’s garden across the street because it is the only right place for it. But after Mrs. Harper tears out the rose bush, Georgie harbors a hatred for her, even as he comes to befriend her mentally disabled son Robin and Robin’s grandfather. He is unaware that she caught a glimpse of his scarred back and rebuffs Mrs. Harper’s attempts to make amends. After months of personal change in his new, supportive environment, Georgie finds the inner strength to reach out to Mrs. Harper.

This book was so sad, but so compelling to listen to. Young Georgie was horribly abused by his mother's boyfriend every time the man came around. His beatings were so severe that the scars on the child's back made it nearly impossible to take off his shirt, for fear of answering questions.

He was finally taken from the home and placed in the loving care of some nuns where he learned to love, learn and be friends with others. Prepare for sadness. It is heart breaking, but good.

This book is about a boy named Georgie who grows up in a broken home. His mother has problems with alcohol and her boyfriend is abusive towards her. This effects Georgie and becomes disruptive in school. He goes to an all boys school and the nuns there start to soften Georgie's heart. Georgie likes flowers a lot and plants a rosebush. This rosebush is key in Georgie's life as he is changing. He finds friendship in a boy named Timothy and takes another boy named Robin under his wing. Robin ends up drowning and Georgie replants the rosebush at his grave site.

When I read this book I was in the eigth grade, in other words I had better things too do then read a book for a accelerated reader point, we read it as a class. We read one chapter a day, after the first chapter I went home and read the whole book in one night! The things a mother can do too one child in this book are endless. It sits your mind aspin on many different levels. If you love a tear jerker book then you will love this! It is hard to rate this book on just a 5 star level, it deserves more! ( )