Once Upon a Phone

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Family

Suitable for ages 12+

Published October 2024

A story of love and determination

Amelia Rose Gardiner has a problem. She needs a phone, but her parents won’t buy her one. She’s in the seventh grade, so she needs one, but she’s only ten, and they tell her she’s not old enough. It’s how homeschoolers communicate with each other, but Mom and Dad can’t afford it, and they already have a house phone. Left with no alternative, Amelia goes looking for a job to pay for it herself. This is her adventure.

Once Upon a Phone isn’t a children’s book. It’s a story about growing up in a family, making mistakes, and discovering what really matters in life from a child’s perspective. One critic called it “a charming… unusual but absorbing read” with “delightful prose” and “a precociously sweet heroine.” (2025 BookLife Prize critic's report)

Once Upon a Phone first appeared as a twenty-eight-episode serial and contains the original episode notes from the author.

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