New favorite author for kids

I happened to accidently read two books in a row by the same author, and after reading the first, Fish In a Tree, I didn't think the second, One for the Murphys, could possibly be as great as the first.  Well, I was so wrong.  Both books by Lynda Mullaly Hunt have been added to my go-to list of books to suggest when students, or adults, for that matter, are looking for something good to read.  

Fish in a Tree is about a smart girl that has made it to fifth grade while hiding a terrible secret from everyone.  She hides behind disruptive behavior and joking.  Her exasperated teacher has given up on her, often just sending her to the principal's office.  She suffers through the unwanted attention of bullies as well.  Then, she gets a new teacher, a kind man, who recognizes what she is doing and why.  Turns out, she can't read.  He draws her out, finds her gifts, and helps her begin to overcome her problem.  In One for the Murphys, the main character finds herself in foster care after her new step-father beats her and her mother, landing them both in the hospital.  She has had a rough life and finds the loving home she joined alien to her.  She honestly doesn't trust love and kindness when it is offered.  She is angry and resentful at first, then begins to hope for her own future.  It is about unconditional love.  If you think, however, you can guess how these books end, guess again.  They both end hopefully, but not with a fairytale happy ending.  This it what makes them so satisfying.

She has an amazing way of writing about complex feelings in a very relatable way.  Also, as a teacher, she really made me understand why children sometimes act out.  Why they act anti-social, aloof, or crack jokes at inappropriate times.  Both books make me want to be a better person.