The Lions of Little Rock by Kristin Levine.   Plot and character development work together in a finely crafted novel. A character wants something but faces difficult circumstances. As she grapples with her problems, she is beaten down by events or her own mistakes. She feels discouraged, flawed, maybe hopeless at times. But little by little, as she feels her way, she learns from her missteps. And she grows stronger. At the end of the novel, we recognize that, whether or not she is successful in getting what she wants, she has developed and changed for the better because of her … [Read more...]