Downright Dencey

Dencey Coffyn is deeply ashamed of losing her temper and forgetting all her proper Quaker ways to chase down and throw rocks at the smart-mouthed local waif, Sammie Jetsam.




To make it all worse, she’s wounded him! Maybe terribly! Now Dencey has a horrible blight on her conscience and the desperate need to make things right. Despite the sure knowledge that her mother will not approve, Dencey meets with Jetsam regularly to teach him to read.




But Jetsam’s cruel guardian, Ol’ Jill, does not like it. She threatens to steal the precious Pilgrim Progress in Jetsam’s possession, before promising to beat and kidnap Dencey herself.




Dencey’s conscience is already in a terrific battle. How can she meet this new challenge and still help Jetsam?




Downright Dencey is a Newbery Honor book.