"Someday this will be in a Museum" 1st Chapter

It has been over a year since her family’s heartbreaking move from their beachfront hometown, and 11-year-old Melody McDougal is still struggling to make sense of the abrupt and mysterious departure. After being scorned and bullied in her new city for her tireless work ethic and high intelligence, Melody was transferred to another school after the end of her fifth grade year. Left feeling alienated, the young girl begins sixth grade both scared and desperate, constantly yearning for the kind of genuine friends she had back home.

Melody’s diary offers a view into the heart and mind of a lonely girl who is desperate to fulfill the vicarious dreams of her loving but demanding mother. Expecting nothing short of spectacular academic success, Mrs. McDougal spends her days molding her daughter into the child prodigy that she wishes she could have been herself. Her ambitions for Melody go far beyond straight A’s as she also eyes the capture of a national prize and the cash reward that comes with it.