In Unwanted by Mary E. Sandford, Debbie is a lot like most twelve-year-olds in the fifties. She puts others first, she loves to laugh, and she’s not afraid to pray. Convinced her family is destroyed beyond repair, Debbie longs for a new one. 
She got dumped at an orphanage, even though she’s not an orphan. And she’s determined do something about it. But when her friends need her, she steps up putting her own goals aside. Debbie protects her friends, stands up for what she believes is right, knows that forgiveness is always the best choice and even figures out how to befriend a bully. Unwanted proves that while things aren’t always what they seem, you can always hope.
The INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD recognized Unwanted in the category of Juvenile Fiction as the 2020 Winner.