Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo

The premise of this book is so sad. Raymie Clarke's dad has run off with a dental hygienist. She believes that if she wins the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, her picture will be in the newspaper, her dad will see her, and he'll come home.

So she enrolls in a baton twirling class. She meets two other girls who are also dealing with their own things, and they all become friends.

Sad and touching.