side who allows Ellen to stay with her for a weekend and finds it funny when Ellen had misunderstood that she would be staying permanently. She is petty and bickers with Nadine, her sister, when their mother dies. Dolphin is the horse Ellen rides and cares for at her new mama's house. Jo Jo is Ellen's new foster sister who loves to dance to music with no words. Edition Virago Modern Classics No.450 (London, 1998), 126pp. (). Television film On December 14, 1997, a made-for-television film based on the book was aired on CBS as a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, and is now on DVD. The movie was directed by John Erman, screenplay by Maria Nation and William Hanley. The movie is rated PG-13 for some abusive treatment of a child, and is 120 minutes including commercials. Production took place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Cast: Julie Harris - Lenora Nelson Jena Malone - Ellen Foster Ted Levine - Bill Hammond Glynnis O'Connor - Charlotte Nelson Hammond Debra Monk - Aunt Nadine Kimberly J. Brown - Dora Barbara Garrick - Aunt Betsy Kate Burton - Abigail Željko Ivanek - Chief Inspector Lynne Moody - Mrs. Douglas Bill Nunn - Mr. Douglas Allison Jones - Starletta Douglas Amanda Peet - Julia Hobbs Timothy Olyphant - Roy Hobbs External links Ellen Foster on Vintage Books Ellen Foster at the Internet Movie Database Ellen Foster on Oprah.com Ellen Foster study guide on SparkNotes 1987 American novels Novels set in North Carolina Hallmark Hall of Fame episodes American novels adapted into films 1997 television films 1997 films Films directed by John Erman Fiction set in the 1970s