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About the Book


Tell Me

A young, comic actor with troubles at home, sees a girl who might be held against her will…but will anyone listen?

Anna really needs this vacation at her grandmother Mim’s house in Rosemont. Maybe she can just enjoy the famous Flower Festival, and forget her worries about her parents’ troubled marriage, if only for a little while. After all, Rosemont’s unofficial motto is “Nothing bad happens here.” So nothing will….right?

But soon Anna finds herself caught up in a bigger problem: how to find out the truth about the girl she saw, the one with the frightened eyes. Is she being held against her will? Is she in danger? Anna is determined to help, to make something happen. But first, she has to make someone listen.


"Bauer has done an exceptional job of informing young readers about human trafficking without being heavy-handed or speaking down to her audience."
-- Library Media Connection

"Bauer manages the difficult feat of folding the topic of human trafficking into a middle-grade novel about daily-life family and peer struggles; in fact, Anna’s conviction that the missing girl matters is part and parcel of her character throughout, as she similarly commits whole-heartedly to her acting efforts and beloved friends. . . Readers will appreciate the story for Bauer’s classic and relatable heroine who pursues her goal through adversity."
-- BCCB

"I wouldn't think that an author could write a book about human trafficking for children in this age bracket, but Joan Bauer pulled it off with poise. She wrote the story in such a way that the reader is immersed in the main character's quest for justice for a little girl that she doesn't know. The book is also about saying something if you see something, trusting your instincts and being proactive. Most importantly, it champions not giving up."
-- KidsRead

A South Carolina Book Nominee

"There are numerous, valuable messages for readers here: pay attention, trust your instincts, and speak up; sometimes being brave is about small, uncertain steps that we take; and helping others helps us, too. Humor and hope are balanced throughout..."
-- VOYA

"In this novel filled with comedy and drama. . . Bauer skillfully weaves subplots together as Rosemont citizens (and Anna's parents) rise to the challenge of solving the mystery."
-- Publishers Weekly

"A multi-faceted plot combining crime drama with a modern coming of age story.  Anna's voice rings clear...allowing readers to sing, cry...and keep their minds and eyes alert to worlds other than their own."
-- School Library Journal