The story, Pinballs, is about three children in a foster home. The names of the children are Thomas J, Carlie, and Harvey. Thomas J is in the foster home because his parents left him on a farm with two elderly twins, who were 80 years old. The twins couldn’t afford to take care of him so they put him in the foster home.

Harvey is there because his dad was driving him to a special award ceremony. They argued and Harvey got out and walked in front of the car. His dad floored the car, thinking that it was in reverse. But it was in drive and he ran over Harvey’s legs. He didn’t know what to do so he put him in the foster home.

Carlie is there because she and her dad had a fight and Carlie kicked her dad, then her dad hit her on the head with a boiling pot. Carlie was almost unconscious, but she had enough strength to hit her dad back with a frying pan. Then Carlie was put in the foster home by her dad. Carlie wasn’t a nice, promising person.

All the kids meet in the same foster home and they don’t like each other when they first meet. Later on they get to be friends and talk and talk about why they are in the foster home. Each kid shares why they are there and they can hardly believe each other’s stories.