After Pa Was Shot — Judy Alter

After her pa is shot in a turn-of-the-century Texas gunfight, 12-year-old Ellsbeth James has no time to go chasing off after the killer. She has to buckle down and take care of her mother and siblings, B.J., Little Henry and Maggie.

"Time and place come to life in Alter's bright, atmospheric novel set in Center,
Texas during the early 1900s."
-- Publishers Weekly

"Minor characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the whole concoction is as full
of old time Texas flavor as a piece of Ellsbeth's special chicken-fried steak."
-- New York Times

"Characters skillfully drawn through dialogue and action, an exciting and plausible plot,
and a spunky, engaging heroine add up to a fine novel."
-- School Library Journal