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One for the Murphys

by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Goodreads Author)

4.31 of 5 stars 4.31 · rating details · 1,696 ratings · 458 reviews

Twelve-year-old Carley Connors can take a lot. Growing up in Las Vegas with her fun-loving mother, she's learned to be tough. But she never expected a betrayal that would land her in a foster care. When she's placed with the Murphys, a lively family with three boys, she's blindsided. Do happy families really exist? Carley knows she could never belong in their world, so she...more

Hardcover, 224 pages

Published May 10th 2012 by Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin Group for Young Readers (USA)

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Newbery 2013

7th out of 95 books — 697 voters

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10th out of 281 books — 446 voters

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Community Reviews

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Sep 21, 2012 Inspired Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Well done! This one really tugged at my heart. Be sure you have a box of kleenex nearby!

Lynda did a fabulous job with this story. I laughed and cried while reading it. We get to see Carley's defenses come down as she is surrounded by people who truly care about and love her. The story didn't end how I thought it would but life is not a fairy tale so it was probably a realistic portrayal of what often happens to kids in the foster care system.

A touching story that shows that one person really ca...more

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May 08, 2012 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 12-debut-author-challenge

When we meet Carley she is being released from the hospital and finding herself in the care of a foster family. As a reader, we don’t initially know how Carley got to be where she is, but through flashbacks in the story we are made aware of the horrors that Carley has had to endure.

Carley has never known what a loving household is like. She hates herself for not hating this foster family. We watch her struggle as she comes to terms with herself and with the actions of her mother.

One for the Murp...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

An often funny and also very touching novel about a girl forced into foster care when she and her mother are hurt by her mother's new husband, ONE FOR THE MURPHYS is a beautiful book that reminds us that as much bad as there is in the world, there is equal good. Carley, a street-smart girl who didn't go to school and used to get her clothes from donation bins, uses sarcasm and avoidance to deal with her foster placement in the home of the Murphy family, where she is treated kindly and with respe...more

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Jun 22, 2012 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

***SPOILER ALERT*** If you have not read the book and don't want to know what happens, you should not read this review.

Okay, I am very conflicted about this book - just as conflicted as Carley Connors is about being a foster child. I highly recommend this book, especially to foster parents or people who are considering becoming foster parents or people who have regular contact with foster children. However, from this review, you might not think so. What I dislike about the book appears to outwe...more ***SPOILER ALERT*** If you have not read the book and don't want to know what happens, you should not read this review.

Okay, I am very conflicted about this book - just as conflicted as Carley Connors is about being a foster child. I highly recommend this book, especially to foster parents or people who are considering becoming foster parents or people who have regular contact with foster children. However, from this review, you might not think so. What I dislike about the book appears to outweigh what I like about it. It really doesn't, though. Since I am a social worker (by default, through a long and winding road of state employment that covered law enforcement, corrections, etc.), I am very concerned with what I did not see in the book. But I still love the book. I do. My very favorite line is, "'We're almost there,' Mrs. MacAvoy says, taking a corner faster than I think any social worker is supposed to." Cracks me up every time, probably because some of my kiddos think exactly the same thing when they ride with me. That said, here is my review:

What I LOVED about this book: Carley Connors is REAL - every nuance, every knot in her stomach, every emotional conflict, every minimalization of past events, every smart aleck response to change the subject, etc. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER!! She embodies the turmoil felt by every foster child over the age of three, regardless of placement and regardless of length of time in the system. Carley perfectly expressed the anger she felt at her mother, but the love she still felt for her and how confusing that was. A few times I caught myself thinking Carley's voice was too old for a 12- or 13-year-old. Then I stopped and remembered a couple of my former kiddos who were that age and were just as savvy, just as witty, just as street-wise, and way more jaded about life. Watching Carley's evolution in foster care felt real - and it was watching, more than reading. I felt like a fly on the wall. I have seen kids come into a new home with their guard up, keeping an aloof distance from everyone because they were afraid to get too close. In Oklahoma, we try to keep them in the same schools for consistency, but that is often not possible, so there is more anxiety and more concerns about being an outsider at the new school. After a while, though, those walls the foster kids put up start to crumble a little at a time. Some days they seem to be gone completely, but one little thing can build them right back up in an instant. Foster kids are sponges - they watch and absorb everything for processing later. They do most of this on their own, just like Carley. The feelings of not belonging are constant, even when they are with other family members. It takes patience and time and near-constant reassurance that they are safe, they are loved, they belong, they are good, they are smart, they are winners... Carley was spot-on.

I loved the interaction between Carley and the boys. It also rang pretty true. I liked the conversations between Carley and Mr. Murphy, but I was sad that these didn't really seem to occur often until Toni broke the ice with Mr. Murphy through their baseball rivalry of the Yankees and Red Sox. Mrs. Murphy was good and honest and kind and caring. She genuinely loved Carley and tried to do the right thing by her. I figured out she had been a foster child way before she admitted it to Carley. I liked that the family was able to show their emotions with each other, and to demonstrate that families can disagree and argue, but forgive and still love each other.

I enjoyed Carley's friendship with Toni, and her antagonistic relationship with Rainer. Although, I wish Rainer's character had been a little more explained. It would have been nice to have seen them call a more definite truce on their own, without interference from Toni.

What I HATED about this book: When Carley asked if she could call Mrs. Murphy "Mom", she is rebuffed - gently, but still rebuffed and still heartbroken. There is no discussion about using a nickname. (Mrs. Mom, which Carley joked about with Toni earlier, would have been a PERFECT nickname.) Mrs. Murphy's excuse is, "I just don't think it would be a healthy thing for you", even after Carley says she knows it's just pretend. Mrs. Murphy was a foster child, so she should have known how important this was to give Carley a sense of belonging and fitting in - even if it was pretend and there was no intention to make Carley a permanent part of the family. Wanting to call the foster parents "mom" and "dad" is completely normal, especially when there are other children in the home who do so.

Mrs. Murphy should have known how the court system worked, yet she spoke as if she had no understanding of the legal system with regard to foster care. Mrs. MacAvoy, the social worker, was basically non-existent. Once she placed Carley in the home, she did not bother to come visit and check on her until Carley called her several weeks later. I don't work in Connecticut (where the book is set), but I find it very hard to believe that once they place a child, social workers don't have to go back out unless they get a phone call. The social worker should have had an on-going and hopefully, close relationship with Carley. Mrs. MacAvoy should have kept the foster parents and Carley in the loop as to what was going on in the court case. Instead, Mrs. MacAvoy is a peripheral figure who is crazy busy all the time and even talks to Carley like she is a bother sometimes. That's not okay. (While social workers are mostly crazy busy, our kids deserve our full attention and respect, even when they are not acting their best.) Carley should also have had an attorney who represented her only, and who would also have kept her informed on the case. Carley should have been asked what she wanted to happen in the case - whether or not she wanted to go back to her mother or if she felt safe with her.

Carley had no professional to express her feelings to - not the social worker, not an attorney, not a counselor, no one. No foster child who had been through what she went through would have been without a therapist. Foster Parents are not trained as counselors. Victims of abuse and neglect need the insight of professionals to ensure they are getting the proper treatment to move forward in their lives and to ensure they do not blame themselves for what happened to them. Instead, none of the core issues or feelings are ever resolved for Carley. This is very bothersome.

Mrs. Connors' character was not fleshed out at all. She was stereotypically a neglectful, abusive mother. There was talk of charging her criminally for her part in the abuse, but this is magically dropped because Carley's stepfather admits she did not help (even though we know that she did). I found that implausible, but was willing to overlook that, thinking that she would be held accountable in the juvenile court system. But, she was not. She woke up from her coma, went through rehab to learn to walk again, was released from the hospital, and got Carley back. She was not required to go to court, complete a treatment plan, nothing. In reality, she would most likely have been required to complete counseling for domestic violence victims, complete parenting classes, prove that she had adequate income and a safe, stable home for Carley, participate in family counseling with Carley, etc. She was allowed to see Carley unsupervised, and to say mean and hateful things to her - even telling her she didn't want her anymore. [That is not a reality of the foster care system that I know. Visits with parents are supervised until we know that the child will be safe to visit alone. They would never have been allowed to visit alone the first few times, even if Mrs. Connors was considered a non-offending parent.]

Telling Carley - or any foster child - that they cannot have any contact with the former foster family they have possibly grown to love is just asking for those kids to develop Reactive Attachment Disorder. It is rarely better for the child to undergo the additional trauma of removal from a foster home and also have to suffer a complete disconnect from the persons in the home, especially if they have gotten attached to the family.

Carley would not have been returned to Mrs. Connors' care by the Court unless she could have been returned SAFELY. No one seemed to care that there were huge red flags as to the potential for future neglect. No one asked Carley about her concerns for the future if she went back to her mom. Everyone just talked about how much her mother "really loved her" and had "put her life on the line" for Carley. Sorry, that's not good enough. By not ensuring that Carley would be safe when returned home, all of the adults were complicit in allowing Carley to minimize her mother's participation in her abuse. Mrs. Connors learned NOTHING from Carley going into foster care! She stated that they would move back to Las Vegas (where Carley does NOT want to be) and everything would be "just like it was", which was horrible.

NO ONE - and I mean NO ONE - was advocating for Carley. And that broke by heart...(less)

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Jun 27, 2012 Natalie Lorenzi rated it 5 of 5 stars

An incredible book--touching, funny, tender and real. Can't wait to put this one into the hands of my students.

4 likes · like · see review

Jul 06, 2012 Brandi Rae rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-fiction

I liked this, but...

It was a wonderful story about a girl named Carley who ends up in foster care living with the Murphys, a family with three boys. The book had well drawn characters and situations. Sad and heartbreaking, I would definitely recommend it and can see early middle schoolers loving this book.

My issues dealt more with the details. The main character was 12 but in 8th grade? It was spring and the Red Sox were still playing, but there were basketball tryouts? The oldest son was "just...more

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Apr 24, 2012 Andi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: dac-2012, own

I was asked to read this book and review it by the author and I must say I’m very happy I was because I may not have thought to pick it up otherwise. I would have missed a great story about a young girl finding out who she is and that’s okay to let people in and trust them. I would never have known just how strong Carley Connors was even at a mere 12 years old.

One for the Murphys is about Carley Connors, a young girl from Las Vegas who lived with her single mom. Although they live pretty inconve...more I was asked to read this book and review it by the author and I must say I’m very happy I was because I may not have thought to pick it up otherwise. I would have missed a great story about a young girl finding out who she is and that’s okay to let people in and trust them. I would never have known just how strong Carley Connors was even at a mere 12 years old.

One for the Murphys is about Carley Connors, a young girl from Las Vegas who lived with her single mom. Although they live pretty inconveniently Carley felt both secured and loved by her mom. It wasn’t until Dennis came into the picture that things changed. Carley didn’t trust her mother’s new husband and she isn’t quiet about it. So when the family moves to Connecticut and things take a turn for the worse, landing both she and her mom in the hospital, Carley is thrust into the foster care system. A family by the name of Murphy take her in and show her the true meaning of family and what love is really like. This inevitably changes her forever.

I really enjoyed Carley as a character. She was endearing; very likable and relatable. After reading what the experience that landed her in the hospital I could understand why she was so closed off emotionally from strangers. She refused to trust and I couldn’t blame her. She was just a scared kid and all she wanted was to create a family (one that she felt safe and protected in) with her mom. Unfortunately, that did not happen. Thankfully, being with the Murphy clan, the Mrs. and the two youngest boys in particular, let Carley grow and blossom. Starting out as an angry little girl with a hard shell made it enjoyable to watch the boys and Mrs. Murphy soften it enough to crack through.

Honestly, Carley’s relationship with Mrs. Murphy was my favorite part of the book, save for the Red Sox stuff . No seriously through I loved the dynamic between these two characters. Mrs. Murphy never stepped over her boundaries even when she wanted to and she never pushed Carley into doing something she wasn’t comfortable with. She was the best kind of support Carley could have and watching her open up to this surrogate mom was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Without trying too hard she brought Carley out of her shell and made her believe in herself and to see how strong she really was even if she did get emotional at times.

What I didn’t like in this story was Carley’s mother. I found her incredibly selfish and immature. Carley wasn’t her daughter, she was one of her possessions that she wanted to hold on to and control. She wasn’t a good mother by any stretch of the imagination. Did she love her daughter? No doubt. But that isn’t all there is to the parent/child relationship. Carley needed consistency and stability and she never gave that to her. And don’t even get me started on what lead to the two of them ending up in the hospital. Her mother’s actions, although explained, we’re vile to me and unforgivable. She was by far the worst part.

With that said One for the Murphys is really a fantastic read about love and understanding and finding out who you are. I know it is for middle school age, but I’m not so sure a ten year old should read it with the talk of domestic violence. I would really go with 14 plus, but that’s just me. Definitely a powerful debut by Hunt and I hope to read more by her in the future.(less)

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Aug 26, 2012 Mrs.Heise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dac2012-debut-author, all-time-favorites

Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends

A heart-breaking and heart-warming debut book from Lynda Mullaly Hunt, ONE FOR THE MURPHYS is a beautiful story of family perfect for middle grade readers (and adults!). It's about hope and unsureness and loss and love and friendship and caring and happiness and sadness and possibility and belonging and what it really means to be family. Carley and Toni and the Murphys are all a fantastic cast of characters who I just wanted to hang out wit...more Review originally posted on Heise Reads & Recommends

A heart-breaking and heart-warming debut book from Lynda Mullaly Hunt, ONE FOR THE MURPHYS is a beautiful story of family perfect for middle grade readers (and adults!). It's about hope and unsureness and loss and love and friendship and caring and happiness and sadness and possibility and belonging and what it really means to be family. Carley and Toni and the Murphys are all a fantastic cast of characters who I just wanted to hang out with and hug. Adore Michael Eric and Adam - there's something about well-drawn brothers in books that always gets to me (probably because I have two of my own). And the way in which this story is written, with each chapter being its own kind of vignette of something that happens after Carley is sent to be fostered by the Murphys, is astounding in its ability to draw the reader into the story emotionally. The chapters are short and the whole story takes place over 80 days, but it is utterly impactful. One of the strongest themes throughout the book is the idea of an everyday person being a hero in someone's life. The ways in which you can be a hero to someone else are endless, and it's a gentle call to arms to do so. I love how this is prevalent in the book, but in a non-preachy kind of way.

Although I don't know from personal experience, what left an impression was how real and honest the emotions and feelings of this character felt for what I imagine a child in foster care would be going through. I adored this story, and the Carley, from the very start and my heart warmed and broke along with her as she traveled this journey of self-discovery and acceptance and finding strength and love. I want to hand this book off to every teacher and parent I know and I imagine there will be so many students for whom this type of story will resonate. Although Carley is in 8th grade, this book can definitely be read younger as well. Who doesn't want a family to love and take care of them? If you haven't yet read ONE FOR THE MURPHYS, I recommend you do yourself a favor and get to it soon.

I look forward to seeing what Lynda Mullaly Hunt will write next, and according to her website, her next middle grade book will be ALPHABET SOUP releasing in spring 2014. I'll definitely be reading that one after enjoying ONE FOR THE MURPHYS so much.(less)

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Jan 07, 2013 Emily Myers rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

Such a fabulous book- quick read, but touching. The characters are so endearing and I found myself connected to them immediately. As an adoptive mother I instantly identified with the idea of loving a child that you didn't give birth to so intensely you'd sacrifice everything - just like the giving tree:) a must read.

1 like · like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Jana rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, books-2012, five-star-books

5 wonderful double chocolate chip cookies.

Cover Love: Yes! I love this cover. I love the colors, and the solitude of the girl. However it all works together to not be depressing.

Why I Wanted to Read This: I first heard about this in an #ewyagc chat I participate in on Twitter. There was a Penguin tweeter on there that was raving about this book. Soon after that I was contacted by the AUTHOR HERSELF to participate in the blog tour for this book.Needless to say I was thrilled to say yes.

Read the r ...more

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May 14, 2013 Laura Komos rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grades

Keep Kleenex handy when you reach the end of this one!

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Apr 30, 2013 Chelsea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5th-brummel

Carley had to go stay with the Murphy's because her mom went to jail. Then when she got there none of the boys there didn't like her, she didn't get a long with them.Carly taught daniel how to play basketball because he didn't know how to, so she showed him how to and then he ended up on a basketball team for school. Then at the end one of the little boys were getting made fun of so she went down there to talk to him, and ended up putting the boy in a tree. Carley wen to see her mom in jail and...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Lauren W rated it 5 of 5 stars

Tittle: One for the Murphys
Author: Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Pages: 224

One for the Murphys is a very good book for many reasons. This book tells the reader how the main character Carley feels. This book is about a young girl who's mother marries an awful man named Dennis. Now that Dennis is here Carley gets no attention from her mother. The last dad she remembers spending with her mom was very depressing. On that day Carley and her mom had just gotten home from the movies and he...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Annie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, bittersweet, favorite-books, finding-yourself, friendship, girl-heroine, happy-ending, life, life-lessons, must-re-read, novel, school-life, truth, wished-i-owned

Ah! I finished this in about two hours, just sitting on the couch, bawling my eyes out.

:) But I cried in a good way.

This book is heartwarming, shows abuse, healing, family, and mostly, to let go.
It began with a girl in Las Vegas with her mother and step-father, Dennis. All's right with the world, right? No. The mom had too much to drink, and when she came for the girl, Carley jumped out of the way, causing the mom to fall. This is where things get to go downhill...
A kick to the abdomen, chest,...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Beth Dailey Kenneth rated it 4 of 5 stars

HOLES IS THE STORY: Red Sox are playing and there are basketball try-outs going on? Different seasons. Tori doesn't know that Carley is a foster kid? This is a small town--word would have spread already.

Carley is leaving the hospital but her mother still has a long way to go toward recovery. This leaves Carley as a ward of the state and she's put into foster care with the Murphys. Mrs. Murphy is a stay-at-home Mom (with a teaching degree) raising 3 boys. Mr. Murphy is a huge Red Sox fan and the...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Maureen Milton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery-2013, seniors

Much like the opening of Paterson's "The Great Gilly Hopkins," Hunt's novel, "One for the Murphys" opens with a foster child in a car with her caseworker en route to her new foster home. Carley is welcomed into a home of domestic near-perfection. As in "Anne of Green Gables," there is some confusion when the family expected a girl and received a boy. From there the story departs and the quick-witted, thick-skinned, slow-to-warm Carley earns hard-won friendship, genuine familial love and self-acc...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic

I couldn't put this novel down with the likable characters and nice pacing. I can't say I loved the ending and I found lots unbelievable but the kind parents, funny young boys, quirky best friend, and nice protagonist make for an enjoyable read.

Carley's world has been turned upside down when her step-dad beats her and her mom so badly they ended up in the hospital. Carly's mom's injuries are so severe that Carley is placed into the foster care of the Murphy's, an outwardly perfect family that is...more I couldn't put this novel down with the likable characters and nice pacing. I can't say I loved the ending and I found lots unbelievable but the kind parents, funny young boys, quirky best friend, and nice protagonist make for an enjoyable read.

Carley's world has been turned upside down when her step-dad beats her and her mom so badly they ended up in the hospital. Carly's mom's injuries are so severe that Carley is placed into the foster care of the Murphy's, an outwardly perfect family that is so kind and loving she isn't sure she wants to go back to her mom.

The strength of this story is the character development and emotional pull of Carley becoming attached to the family. Carley is angry at first and lashes out at the Murphy's but learns to love them and be responsible for helping care for the boys. In the beginning Carley has some rough edges and fights with wanting to trust her new family. By the end, Julie Murphy is giving her responsibilities that made me think Carley was more like eighteen years old versus 8th grade. Carley also reacts like an older character. But no matter.

I wanted more of the plot fleshed out. The best friend relationship seemed to happen too fast as well as the reconciliation with her real mother. I did enjoy the best friend and Carley's discussions about the character in the Broadway musical and novel, "Wicked," as they try to make sense out of themselves and the world around them. Carley's voice sometimes sounds too old and her mom didn't sound low income enough when they are apologizing to each other, but it isn't very noticeable. I loved Michael Eric! The author nails this adorable little guy. He's like a puppy. Daniel was believable with his anger toward having to share his family with a foster child. I didn't buy Carley teaching Daniel basketball because even a mediocre male player the same age as a female player is going to have a physical advantage. Unless Carley is an extremely tall, athletic girl, which she isn't.

I was puzzled by the ending that made it seem that the family couldn't contact Carley and that only she could contact them. I wanted to know if this is a law or was just a part of the story. I needed more information. This story misses the grittiness of low income families and doesn't catch the despair or anger like one might find in a Gary Schmidt novel, and because of this, it is a nice book for young readers. The beating is not gone into detail and the horror of it is mostly what the reader imagines in his or her own mind. A wonderful debut novel.

Reading level 3.5(less)

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Oct 14, 2012 Rahma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Just amazing. If I could only say and describe this book in only one word it would be "AMAZING" I'm not use to reading these kinds of books, short, a really young character but seriously I learned my lesson from judging a book by its cover or the back description ;D Carley the main character is a 12 year old girl, her father died (I think) she hasn't mentioned him at all in the book.. i think she did once but not like telling us were he his or anything. Correct me if I'm wrong. So her mom marrie...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Kerry Cerra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mg

Having taken in a former student to live with us a few years ago and also searching for my mom’s birthmother for the past four years, this book, with its theme about a foster child, touched my heart deeply. But it wasn’t what sold me completely. No, the writing did that. Beautiful, gorgeous, thoughtful writing.

Carley Connors lives a “good” life in Vegas with her free-spirited mother, at least until her mom marries and starts getting beaten by her new man Dennis. When the ultimate betrayal leaves...more

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Sep 26, 2012 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Carly Connors is a twelve year old girl who finds herself in foster care after being beat by her stepfather. The Murphy’s are a traditional loving family; Mrs. Murphy especially welcomes Carly into their lives with open arms. At first Carly is closed off trying to protect herself from being hurt. However, the love and kindness of Mrs. Murphy, teach Carly how to open up and let others in. Carly is assigned to work on a school project with Toni, someone who Carly first regards as an enemy. However...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Kathleen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. If I could give this book 6 out of 5 stars I would. What a great story. I don't think I've ever cried so much while reading. I couldn't even really see the last couple of pages through my tears. Carley Connors learns a lot from her foster family, the Murphys. I fell in love with Mrs. Murphy too--it was hard not to. "Sometimes the heart just leads the way": words from Julie Murphy who accepted Carley into her home, gave her unconditional love--while teaching her what that was, and loved what...more

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Jul 20, 2012 Elaine rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I almost finished it in one day (which says a lot for me...I'm a slow reader). The book is about an 8th grade girl, Carley, who becomes a foster child after being abused by her step-father. She goes to live with the Murphy family...a loving family with a mom, dad, and three sons. The story is about Carley's adjustment to life in a loving home...learning to allow people to love her and take care of her. The writing was excellent, especially...more

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Jul 18, 2012 BAYA Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

The last thing 12-year-old Carley Connors remembers is intense pain as her new stepfather hit her while her mother held her down. Bruised and betrayed, streetwise Carley ends up in foster care with the Murphy's, seemingly the perfect family. At first Carley struggles against being one of the Murphy's. Mama Murphy embraces Carley, while papa Murphy seems to keep his distance. The two youngest Murphy boys grow to love Carley, while Daniel, the oldest, seems to loath her. A whole, loving, and midd...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Amy Gonzalez rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books

I think only one other person on Goodreads has rated this lower than 5 stars so far. I bought this book because it has been praised recently on Twitter for being a great middle grade book by popular teachers like, Penny Kittle. Notice though, that everyone who reviewed it is also an adult, and ultimately it's whether my students take to it, that will determine whether I change my opinion on this book.

Two things in particular upset me:

1. The Red Sox Nation Brainwashing.
I live in Cambridge MA, b...more

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Jul 10, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Carley's mother married an abusive man, and after a horrific attack that landed her mother in the hospital, Carley is put into foster care. Her very first family is the Murphys, with fire fighter dad, three young boys, and a really nice mom. Carley manages to do okay in school, although she has a difficult relationship with Toni, a particularly prickly girl who has problems of her own. Carley is concerned about her mom, having difficulty dealing with the abuse, fights a bit with the brother her...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Susie rated it 5 of 5 stars

"One for the Murphys" is a must read. It has a simple message that does not get lost through unnecessary tangents. Carley Connors is a true depiction of a young, conflicted, sad girl, lost in a world that she doesn't understand. This is unlike so many protagonists that too much reflect what little girls should strive to be, and do not spend enough time questioning how little girls truly behave and think. Carley knows that she has been dealt a bad hand in life, and she must learn to live with it...more

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Jul 02, 2012 Mrs. S rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books, read-in-2012

Wow. This book packs a punch. Most of the contemporary I read is pitched, I think, at slightly older readers, so it was different for me to read a book that focused entirely on family and friendship without even a glimmer of romance. In One For The Murphys, Carley Connors finds herself thrust into a foster family that she desperately wants to be part of--and she can't stand how great they seem. Carley is a prickly, clever, mercurial twelve-year-old, and she is clearly a product of her life befor...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Horsenkat rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Kids particularly

Recommended to Horsenkat by: Laurie Thompson

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This is a great book. It shows many problems: child abuse, friendship, bullying, and siblings. Child abuse may be the main problem, but underneath that there are many short-term and even long-term problems that Carly has to deal with, making this seem incredibly like real life. Carly lived in Las Vegas, with her mom. Her mom married, the man she married being very abusive to the both of them. One day, Carly taunts her mom's husband, expecting that if he hits her, her mom would come to the rescue

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May 11, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: abusive-relationships, basketball, bullies, families, ncbla2013

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Jul 25, 2012 June Morgan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I do not believe that I have read a more inspiring, down-to-earth book that makes you laugh, smile, and cry all at the same time this year. ONE FOR THE MURPHYS, the debut book by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, is a clean and honest tribute to foster care except in this book, the foster family is a caring family.

Carly, a girl who is forced into foster care when her step father gets mad and attacks her and her mother. Both end up in the hospital. Carly feels that her mother was part of the abuse that she suf...more

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Foster or Birth Mom?	3	15	May 24, 2013 01:50pm
Why did Carly's mom grab her?	2	24	Jun 21, 2012 08:58am

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12926804-one-for-the-murphys?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320344047l/12926804.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12926804-one-for-the-murphys?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt[/url]

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