Pyxie of the Pines

“Jenny named me Pyxie after the pyxie moss,” he began, with Amanda’s bright eyes fixed on his face, “because one night, when the pyxie moss was all in bloom like it is now, Jenny heard a noise at the door. And when she opened it, there I was a-lying on the doorstep, a baby, all wrapped up in somebody’s old coat. . . . I just lived there with Jenny and the menfolks until yesterday, when they all moved away.” When the reclusive Piney folks move on to a new place, eight-year-old Pyxie is all but abandoned by the only family he has ever known. As he prepares to begin a life alone in the woods, Pyxie meets new friends who help him find a home with gentle Miss Mattie and enroll him in school. Even with these blessings, Pyxie has many obstacles to overcome and much to learn. With help from Miss Mattie and a newfound love of literature, Pyxie learns that regardless of what others say, he can choose the type of person he will become.

(Reviewed by Jenny Phillips)