“Take a good look at a pinball machine sometime. You might learn something about life.” Carlie gets bounced around like a pinball–no say in what happens to her, nobody to depend on. If she was in charge, she wouldn’t be stuck in this foster home with two other kids, Harvey and Thomas J. But to her surprise, Carlie and the boys become friends. And as the three learn to depend on each other, they also start to realize that they don’t have to be like pinballs. Together, they can stop bouncing around and take control of their own lives.