New Releases by Susan McAliley

Josefina''s family holds a party to celebrate the end of the Christmas season. Josefina and her sisters handle all the preparations, and the party is a great success. But the girls? pleasure turns to shock the next morning when Tía Dolores announces she''s leaving the rancho. Josefina and her sisters are sure Tía Dolores belongs with them and Papá, but their efforts to convince her only make matters worse. There''s one person who could persuade Tía Dolores to stay - but how can Josefina get him to help?

"Josefina is pleased and proud when her godmother, T''a Magdalena, asks for her help with springtime chores. T''a Magdalena is a respected healer in the village, and Josefina hopes to become a healer just like her someday. Then one day at T''a Magdalena''s house, Josefina makes an awful mistake that shatters her hopes. She''s sure T''a Magdalena will never teach her now! But when Josefina visits her Pueblo Indian friend Mariana, a terrifying adventure shows her just how much she''s already learned." --Amazon.

Nine-year-old Josefina, the youngest of four sisters living in New Mexico in 1824, tries to help run the household after her mother dies.