Who left the baby at the Rock of Ages Baptist Church? Randall Mackey has a secret. He knows who left the baby on the steps of the Rock of Ages Baptist Church. But he can't tell anyone, not even his best friend, Jaybird. And he certainly can't let Jaybird's little sister, Althea, find out because she'd be sure to shout it from the rooftops. Randall can't tell because Queenie Avery was also there, and he wants to protect her. Poor old Queenie seems to be getting more and more forgetful these days. And now that she's begun to wander, folks in town want to send her away, which would break Mr. Avery's heart. While Randall's busy worrying about doing the right thing, everyone in town is discussing who should take care of baby Moses, and it isn't long before a feud breaks out. Randall has to come up with a plan that won't hurt those he most wants to help. And he's got to do it quickly before the situation gets completely out of control. **

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–Randall Mackey, 11, has a secret: he knows who left a baby on the doorstep of a local church, but he can't tell because he wants to protect an elderly neighbor. What transpires is a battle between the white minister's wife, who wants the infant, and black Miss Frieda, who is authorized for foster care and believes that the child should be "with his own kind." The tensions that ensue split the black and white communities, and the congregation as well. While Randall's reluctance and indecision are a little drawn out, overall this is a funny and touching story. It shows how barriers between the races can be broken down by simple friendliness, and has plot elements that include child abandonment, the role of the Baptist church in a small South Carolina town, and an examination of summoning up the courage to do what's right. O'Connor sweetens everything with an earthy humor and a great ear, with dialogue peppered with phrases like, "…you take to babies like a snake to a woodpile." Randall's friend Jaybird has a sassy young sister who has some of the best insults in the book, and the dialogue between the friends is right on target. O'Connor's take on situations is psychologically astute; she describes well how children sometimes manipulate the adults around them, and how perceptive they can be about adult secrets. –Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
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From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Randall has a secret. Only he knows who abandoned a newborn baby on the steps of the Rock of Ages Baptist Church. The rest of the congregation and community buzzes with gossip and takes sides over who should raise baby Moses: the minister's childless wife, who is white, or the black foster mother who feels that the African American baby belongs "with his own kind." Meanwhile, Randall deals with his own quandary: should he tell what he knows? The author of Fame and Glory in Freedom, Georgia (2003) and Moonpie and Ivy (2001) creates a strong sense of this small South Carolina community, where church ties draw segments of the community closer together, though not always into close harmony. Against this realistic backdrop, she places characters whose idiosyncrasies make them believable; memorable, convincing portrayals of interracial friendships and spats; and a sympathetic child who struggles to make a good decision when neither choice seems clearly right. A rewarding read. Carolyn Phelan
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