Much of the story is told from the perspective of Arielle who, along with her mother, must deal with an abusive stepfather, and Kofi, who must be the adult to his irresponsible parents while dealing with a growing addiction to prescription drugs given to him for an injury to his arm.  Added to seeing how they all deal with major issues in their lives is the mystery of who is committing thefts of money and electronic devices, and who keeps pulling the fire alarm in the middle of winter!  Lots of action leading up to a dramatic ending!

I really liked reading about RD.  I liked the first person narrative that let us into his head to see how he thought about things and figured out solutions to his problems.  I think our students will like this book because of how RD and his friends talk to each other and relate as friends…or sometimes NOT as friends.

Shifty by Lynn E. Hazen

Soli, Shifty, is fifteen and moves from foster home to foster home. When he stays with Martha, he finally finds a home in which he feels comfortable. He even has a new foster sister, Sissy, and baby brother, Chance. Shifty is “shifty.” Often he finds himself getting into trouble. For example he drives Martha’s van even though he doesn’t have a driver’s license. Because he would like to stay with Martha, he tries to keep out of trouble especially when the social worker seems to be “uptight” and cops seem to always be around to catch him messing up. This, however, is quite difficult for Shifty and problems ensue.

Black Box by Julie Schumacher

Elena’s sister, Dora, has been hospitalized for depression after swallowing a bottle of pills. As one would expect this is difficult for the family especially Elena. The attention is focused on Dora and her recovery and not on Elena. Often Elena, who is new to her school, feels as though no one is listening to her until she meets Jimmy. It seems as though the two have quite a bit in common. When Dora comes home from the hospital Elena tries to take care of her and help even though her parents don’t listen to her. This book has emotional ties to keep the reader involved. It is also full of twists and turns. Reluctant readers will especially like this book because it is a quick read and keeps the reader engaged.

17-year-old Liam is the son of a former fashion model and a straight-arrow, no-nonsense father who doesn’t approve of anything Liam does.  Too much bad behavior finally gets Liam kicked out of the house and he goes to live with his father’s brother, “Aunt Pete,” a DJ, glam rocker, who is gay, lives in a trailer and has his own issues with Liam’s father and grandparents.  It seems like Liam couldn’t find many more ways to get in trouble, even after moving in with Aunt Pete.  But working with Liam to figure out why he is such a “screwup” is what keeps us reading to the end of this very satisfying story.

Go Liam!

The book is divided into sections based on DeShawn’s age until he reaches 18, and his life becomes more and more complex and challenging.  I had to keep reading to see what would happen to DeShawn, all while feeling the hopelessness of his living situation, which was the author’s purpose in writing this book.  I think students who enjoy reading our “street lit” books will like this one, even though the dialogue and language didn’t seem very authentic–”school-safe” maybe but not authentic.

The author says we as a country need to do something soon about the problems of inner-city youth and families, and gives information and data to support his message. It’s a hard topic to read about and harder still to experience.

Chapter alternate between Mitch and Spencer telling the story each from their perspective.  Tensions between Mitch’s mother and grandparents cause him to want to live next door with his mother, but when Spencer’s family move in, he comes up with ways to scare them into leaving.  Then we read about Spencer’s reactions to those tactics.

There’s no big dramatic action here but we can really get into the boys’ heads to experience the pain and confusion they are both feeling.  Read Olive’s Ocean for more by this author.

Arnold has always attended the school on the reservation but a classroom incident in the first days of his 9th grade year prompts one of his teachers to recommend that he leave the rez school for a better school–the nearest public school 22 miles away.  Now branded as a traitor to his reservation family, Arnold faces the many challenges to being a reservation Indian in a very white school.  He doesn’t back down from any challenge and doors open for him in every situation.

In spite of some tough social and living conditions in Arnold’s life, this book is funny, fun to read and hopeful.  It’s definitely for more mature readers who can read beyond just the words to the amazingly courageous person that is Arnold.

Everything and everyone gets tested when Shelby’s mother is in a bad car accident and ends up in the hospital for a long period of time recovering from disfiguring facial wounds among other physical damage .  Since none of the sisters are old enough to be responsible on their own, they all have to go live with their own fathers, and some of the fathers aren’t so great.  The months spent with their fathers teach them all, including the fathers, what a strong bond the sisters have with each other and the relative importance of “outside beauty” in their lives.

This story really presents a different type of “family” and I’m not sure a similar family in real life would get along as well as these sisters do.  Perhaps I’m being too judgmental and difficult situations bring children together.  What do you think?

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor

What would you do if you needed money, needed money fast? Georgina is faced with this question as her life drastically changes. Without notice she is living with her mother and brother in a car. Even though her mom is working two jobs, they don’t have enough money for the down payment and the first months rent. Since there only money is quarters and dollars in a jar, Georgina figures out a plan to help.

Although this book has some humorous situations, the topic of the book is serious. Georgina and her family are struggling. The events in this book give “a small dose” of the reality of being homeless. Her best friend begins to distance herself while her family struggles with every day aspects of eating and keeping clean. As the family struggles, they have little help from anyone.