Shelter by Patricia H. Aust

Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Paperback: 200 pages
Publisher: Luminis Books, Inc. (May 9, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1935462008
ISBN-13: 978-1935462002

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A young teen comes of age in an abusive home
Miguel’s dad is at it again—physically abusing his mom and sister and terrorizing Miguel for no good reason. But when Miguel’s mom and sister, who have been whispering to one another for some time, decide to stand up to the abuse and decide to move to a women’s shelter, Miguel’s life begins to take turns he never expected. After the family moves out, it isn’t long before Miguel’s dad promises to change his ways before once again becoming abusive; leaving Miguel to summon the courage to stand up to the man he thought he loved. This emotional and stirring novel is told from the point of view of a young man who is torn between the love he feels for his abusive father and the responsibility to protect his family.

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Spotlight

Pat Aust’s life revolved around helping other people. She recognized that for as many children as there were in the battered women’s shelter where she volunteered as a children’s counselor, there were many more that still were being abused. This book was accepted for publication just before she passed away from cancer on June 12, 2012. Her hope was that this book might help victims of domestic violence to break the cycle.
After she retired from a career in child welfare and specialized foster care, and working for more than 20 years as a public school social worker, she served on various boards of mental health and learning disabilities as well as the Connecticut Task Force on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She belonged to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, played in her church’s bell choir, and edited Circuit, the newsletter of the Learning Disabilities Association of Connecticut. What she loved most, though, was writing middle-grade and young adult novels. A portion of the royalties from the sale of SHELTER will be donated to the women’s shelter where she volunteered.