I read this book in 7th grade and have never been able to find it!!I know a girl visits (I think) her aunt Val and uncle out in the country and has a friend she plays with that has a brother named Rudy and a bunch of other siblings. Their father is an alcoholic who wreaks havoc on them. This is all I really remember and that aunt Val makes catfish.
A moving story of the strength and fragility of children in difficult situations, and of the power of imagination.Twelve-year-old Dawn is spending the summer on her aunt and uncle's farm while her mother recovers from a serious operation at home in Washington, D.C. Life in the country is very different from what Dawn is used to. She spends most of her free time practicing  A moving story of the strength and fragility of children in difficult situations, and of the power of imagination.Twelve-year-old Dawn is spending the summer on her aunt and uncle's farm while her mother recovers from a serious operation at home in Washington, D.C. Life in the country is very different from what Dawn is used to. She spends most of her free time practicing her curve ball and hanging out with Charlotte, who lives down the road. Together, the girls create an imaginary world: Planet Kid. It is special place, their own private hideaway, and no one else is allowed in without an invitation.As one seemingly carefree summer day rolls into another, however, the world of adults threatens to intrude. Issues of race, as well as Dawn's fears about her mother's illness, rise to the surface. Worst of all, Dawn begins to suspect that Charlotte's father is not merely strict with his family, but abusive. When Planet Kid is no longer a refuge, where can they turn? ...more