Thursday's Child by Sonya Hartnett

What would you do if things couldn’t get any worse?  Set during the Great Depression in rural Australia, a family deals with loss after loss:  the death of a child, the collapse of their home, the loss of themselves to something dark and craven.  Harper, the third child of five and the second daughter, tells of growing up and struggling to survive.  She tells of family relationships and how loss can change everything and especially everyone.  Her younger brother, Tin, is more comfortable burrowing in the earth than living with the family.  Harper must deal with this loss and come to terms with many others, mainly by persevering and using what Americans would call moxie.

Middle School appropriate although there is one graphic scene.  Lexile is 960.