Emily Out of Focus

From the author of Extraordinary and Call Me Sunflower, Emily Out of Focus is a warm and winning exploration of the complexity of family, friendship, and identity that readers will love.

Twelve-year-old Emily is flying with her parents to China to adopt and bring home a new baby sister. She’s excited but nervous to travel across the world and very aware that this trip will change her entire life. And the cracks are already starting to show the moment they reach the hotel—her parents are all about the new baby and have no interest in exploring.

In the adoption trip group, Emily meets Katherine, a Chinese-American girl whose family has returned to China to adopt a second child. The girls eventually become friends and Katherine reveals a secret: she’s determined to find her birth mother, and she wants Emily’s help.

New country, new family, new responsibilities—it’s all a lot to handle, and Emily has never felt more alone.

Miriam Spitzer Franklin has been sharing her love of reading and writing with students for years as an elementary and middle school teacher. She currently teaches language arts to middle school students in Waxhaw, NC.  Miriam lives with her husband, two daughters-one who was adopted from China, and two pampered cats in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"A true-to-life story about one family's joys and struggles during the overseas adoption process." —Kirkus Reviews

"A heartfelt story exploring the complexities of family and friendship. Emily is so relatable, she flies right off the page and straight into your heart." —Abby Cooper, author of Sticks & Stones and Bulbbes

"Told through the lens of twelve-year-old Emily, an aspiring photojournalist, this story honestly relates the joy and struggle of a family as they pick up their long-awaited daughter, Mei Lin, from an orphanage in YiYang City in China. Readers will cheer Emily on as she transforms from a reluctant big sister and trepidatious traveler who is harboring a few secrets to a welcoming big sister." —Hillary Homzie, author of Apple Pie Promises and Pumpkin Spice Secrets

Praise for Call Me Sunflower:
“Call Me Sunflower is one of those rare books that settles into your very core and stays with you long after you finish the last page. Sunny’s story will captivate your heart, oftentimes break it, but ultimately heal it together with a warm hug filled with the promise of hope.” —Brooks Benjamin, author of My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights

“Sunny’s story is heartfelt and hopeful, and it’s a poignant reminder that families don’t have to be perfect to be full of love. —Gail Nall, author of Breaking the Ice and Out of Tune

“Readers will be both heartbroken and warmed by the way Sunny views the world and her attempts to change it. This is a story of love, family, resilience, and grief—themes that resonate with many. Sunny is a relatable heroine with a noble cause that readers won’t soon forget.” —Erin Entrada Kelly, author of Hello, Universe

“A beautifully told and at times poignant story about how difficult it can be for children to navigate their changing world. Franklin’s Sunflower is a lovable, creative character, and her attempts to reunite her parents, make new friendships, and form a bond with her grandmother will have readers glued to the page and heartened by the story’s themes of love and resilience.” —Wendy McLeod MacKnight, author of It’s a Mystery, Pig Face!

“A moving and realistic story . . . Sunflower shines with emotion, convincing dialogue, and relatable characters.” —Atlanta Journal-Constitutional

“Although even preteens may shake their heads at the way Sunny refuses to accept a new reality . . . they’ll appreciate how she gradually discovers that she needs to deal with things the way they are and that even if circumstances change, she can still count on the people around her to come through for her. “ —School Library Journal

Praise for Extaordinary:
“A gentle story. . . . Most readers will understand long before Pansy does that she is setting herself up for disappointment, but they will also recognize that Pansy’s dedication to her friend is plenty extraordinary in itself.” —Publishers Weekly

“North Carolina author Franklin firmly grasps the climate and struggles among kids today. Her crystal-clear writing is filled with rich detail and believable characters. The sensitive story will resonate with young girls wrestling with friendship pains.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“[An] effective debut. . . . the ending, in which Pansy accepts the reality of Anna’s situation, is suitably affecting.” —Booklist

“Though Pansy, Anna, and Andy are in fifth grade, the themes are universal, and this could easily appeal to young teens as well as the middle grade set. . . . A fine addition to upper elementary and middle school collections where weighty realistic fiction is in demand.” —School Library Journal

“Extraordinary is a delightful tale of loyalty, friendship, and hope.” —Karen Harrington, author of Courage for Beginners and Sure Signs of Crazy

“An inspiring, beautifully told story of friendship, hope, and the power of positive thinking, even in the face of deep disappointment.” —Dianna Dorisi Winget, author of A Million Ways Home

Praise for Call Me Sunflower:
“Call Me Sunflower is one of those rare books that settles into your very core and stays with you long after you finish the last page. Sunny’s story will captivate your heart, oftentimes break it, but ultimately heal it together with a warm hug filled with the promise of hope.” —Brooks Benjamin, author of My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights

“Sunny’s story is heartfelt and hopeful, and it’s a poignant reminder that families don’t have to be perfect to be full of love. —Gail Nall, author of Breaking the Ice and Out of Tune

“Readers will be both heartbroken and warmed by the way Sunny views the world and her attempts to change it. This is a story of love, family, resilience, and grief—themes that resonate with many. Sunny is a relatable heroine with a noble cause that readers won’t soon forget.” —Erin Entrada Kelly, author of Hello, Universe

“A beautifully told and at times poignant story about how difficult it can be for children to navigate their changing world. Franklin’s Sunflower is a lovable, creative character, and her attempts to reunite her parents, make new friendships, and form a bond with her grandmother will have readers glued to the page and heartened by the story’s themes of love and resilience.” —Wendy McLeod MacKnight, author of It’s a Mystery, Pig Face!

“A moving and realistic story . . . Sunflower shines with emotion, convincing dialogue, and relatable characters.” —Atlanta Journal-Constitutional

“Although even preteens may shake their heads at the way Sunny refuses to accept a new reality . . . they’ll appreciate how she gradually discovers that she needs to deal with things the way they are and that even if circumstances change, she can still count on the people around her to come through for her. “ —School Library Journal

Praise for Extaordinary:
“A gentle story. . . . Most readers will understand long before Pansy does that she is setting herself up for disappointment, but they will also recognize that Pansy’s dedication to her friend is plenty extraordinary in itself.” —Publishers Weekly

“North Carolina author Franklin firmly grasps the climate and struggles among kids today. Her crystal-clear writing is filled with rich detail and believable characters. The sensitive story will resonate with young girls wrestling with friendship pains.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“[An] effective debut. . . . the ending, in which Pansy accepts the reality of Anna’s situation, is suitably affecting.” —Booklist

“Though Pansy, Anna, and Andy are in fifth grade, the themes are universal, and this could easily appeal to young teens as well as the middle grade set. . . . A fine addition to upper elementary and middle school collections where weighty realistic fiction is in demand.” —School Library Journal

“Extraordinary is a delightful tale of loyalty, friendship, and hope.” —Karen Harrington, author of Courage for Beginners and Sure Signs of Crazy

“An inspiring, beautifully told story of friendship, hope, and the power of positive thinking, even in the face of deep disappointment.” —Dianna Dorisi Winget, author of A Million Ways Home