Trudi & Pia
by Ursula Hegi (Author), Giselle Potter (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 4-8

Many nights the dwarf girl, Trudi, fell asleep hoping that her body would stretch itself overnight, that she'd wake up and be the size of other girls her age.

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Trudi doesn't know anybody like her. No one with short arms that can't reach coat hooks, or short legs that dangle in chairs; no one small enough to look into her eyes.

No one, that is, until she meets Pia at the circus. Pia is a lion tamer -- strong and fearless and, most important, a dwarf like Trudi. When Pia asks for a volunteer to step into the ring, Trudi doesn't hesitate. And together, they weave tales of a magical island where people are little and never lonely. After the enchantment ends, Pia shares a secret with Trudi: Feeling that you belong starts with loving yourself.

Adapted from Ursula Hegi's best-selling novel Stones from the River -- and perfectly paired with Giselle Potter's poignant illustrations -- this moving story of a girl's search for acceptance captures what it feels like to be different...and then what it feels like to realize that you're not.

About the Author
Ursula Hegi is the author of eight critically acclaimed adult books, including the best-selling novel Stones from the River, from which Trudi and Pia is adapted. She is also the author of Intrusions, Unearned Pleasures and Other Stories, Floating in My Mother's Palm, Salt Dancers, Tearing the Silence, The Vision of Emma Blau, and Hotel of the Saints. Ms. Hegi lives in New York State.