The pinballs

"Harvey and me and Thomas J are just like pinballs. Somebody put in a dime and pushed a button and we came out." In the novel The Pinballs, by Betsy Byars, the three fostered children progressed through a few stages. One of these stages being the children were neglected and abused. Another stage being the children sharing some feelings and making relationships and connections. The last stage being they find friendship with each other, they become like brother and sister and produce a positive attitude towards life.

One of the stages the children progressed through is being neglected and abused in their own homes. Harvey was run over by his father, who was an alcoholic and a gambler. Thomas J was abandoned by his birth parents in front of a farmhouse. Carlie was move around a lot and her stepfathers beat her. Sometimes she would even get concussions from this.

Length of stay in U.S. foster care

Picture taken at the Come Alive New Testament Chur...

Harvey

Due to this abuse and neglect they were forced by law to go to the foster home with the foster parents, Mr Collin Mason and Mrs Ramona Mason. Harvey, Thomas J and Carlie hated being moved around like pinballs. They didn't want to open up to each other at that stage it would be like opening up to a stranger. The first stage of neglect and abuse is clearly the most challenging stage that the children progressed through.

Another stage the foster children progress through is they start to form relationships and connections are made, but they have obstacles which they have to face. Carlie learns to care for the others and changes her attitude from being impolite to caring. " We'll pick out a puppy...and sing, `Happy Birthday to You'...I know it will cure him." An obstacle Harvey faced his broken and infected legs. This...