Life's a Funny Proposition, Horatio

Daunted by the hand he has been dealt, 12-year-old Horatio Tuckerman is having a tough time. Two years ago, his dad died of lung cancer. Embittered and anguished, Horatio's life has been a whirlwind of change since losing his best friend. A one-time city kid, Horatio now lives in a small Wisconsin town. His grandfather O.P. (the Old Professor) has moved in and taken over his bedroom. Even worse, his mother Evie, a dentist, is dating a guy nicknamed "Pink Gums Paul." Remarkably, with the help of O.P. and others, Horatio begins to see that he can get through rough times by accepting life on life's terms--realizing that "life's a funny proposition, after all." Author Barbara Garland Polikoff invites young adults on a journey from grief to peace.