Waiting for Sarah is a work set in modern times for young adults. The book opens with a horrific car accident that kills tenth grader Mike Scott's mother, father, and his younger sister and also causes him to lose his legs. Mike misses an entire year of school while going through rehab, and would be happy to continue avoiding others. His aunt Norma, who takes him in after his parents are killed, convinces him to try to attend school for his senior year, but even surrounded by other students Mike remains withdrawn. He agrees to compile a feature for the yearbook celebrating the school's fiftieth anniversary because it will get him out of a boring history class, and this assignment brings him in contact with Sarah, an eighth grade student who volunteers to help with the project. With her constant cheer, Sarah finally manages to get close to Mike in a way that no one else can, but she turns out to be more than she seems. Just when Mike comes to depend on Sarah's visits for more than library assistance, she disappears. Where has she gone and what is her secret? Solving Sarah's mystery finally forces Mike to confront his own issues and move on with his life.