Pine Island Home

This sweet realistic fiction story by Polly Horvath is on the Great Stone  Face list for 21-22.  Fiona and her sisters are taken in by their aunt in the woods of Canada after the death of their parents.  However, the aunt passes away before they arrive.  They settle in to her house, and try to survive on their own.  They have to keep their situation a secret or they will be split up.  So Fiona concocts a plan to enlist their new neighbor, a grumpy man who was in love with their aunt. In exchange for meals, he will pretend to be their guardian when needed.  You root for these sweet girls through the whole book.  The ending was unexpected and satisfying.  (FIC HOR)