Once Upon a Phone

<p>Amelia Rose Gardiner has a problem. She needs a phone but her parents won't buy her one. She's in the seventh grade so she needs one but she's only ten and they tell her she's not old enough. It's how homeschoolers communicate with each other but Mom and Dad can't afford it and they already have a house phone. Left with no alternative Amelia goes looking for a job to pay for it herself. This is her adventure. </p><p><em>Once Upon a Phone</em> isn't a children's book. It's a story about growing up in a family making mistakes and discovering what really matters in life from a child's perspective. One critic called it a charming... unusual but absorbing read with delightful prose and a precociously sweet heroine. (2025 BookLife Prize critic's report) </p><p>Note: This book was originally published as a twenty-eight-episode serial adventure. Each episode includes the author's note from the original publication. </p>