All their lives, the children on Hibiscus Street had heard glorious stories of "up North." Now their eyes really opened in wonder when Lula Bell announced that she and her mother were going there to join Daddy Joe.

Before she even started on her first exciting train ride, Lula Bell was homesick for her wise, comforting grandmother, Mama Hattie, who ruled their little home like a queen and worked hard to bring in extra pennies. She and Lula Bell depended on each other.

The reader shares every moment of Lula Bell's new life, from the joy of throwing her first snowball, to the strange feeling of being a newcomer from "down South." The noisy city where school lay across the railroad tracks brought new and difficult problems for Lula Bell to face.

How her parents make a very big decision and what loyal, hot-tempered Lula Bell learns about getting along with others is told with wisdom, humor and honesty. Here, in Lois Lenski's warm, human story and pictures, is a family to capture the hearts and enrich the understanding of children everywhere. 

From the dust jacket