Mine for Keeps

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Mine for Keeps (OCLC 522612) is a 1962 book by the Canadian children's author Jean Little. Born with cerebral palsy, nine-year-old Sally has spent the past five years at a special rehabilitation school. Her dreams of actually living with her family rather than just visiting them finally come true when a new school opens near her family’s home. Adjusting to her new life and the typical challenges of starting a new school and meeting new friends are heightened for Sally, through the unique problems of being handicapped in the world. Mine for Keeps is a heartfelt and inspirational story about overcoming fears and considering other people’s points of view. A compelling read, this popular children’s story imparts valuable lifelong lessons about the nature of change, friendship and family.

At the time she wrote Mine for Keeps, Little was teaching in a school for the disabled. She has said that she wrote it because she'd tired of reading her students books in which disabled child-characters either meet tragic deaths or recover completely (like Clara in Heidi, or Colin in The Secret Garden).