COMMENDED LIST: Asphalt Angels

Staff -- School Library Journal, 8/1/2000

HOLTWIJK, Ineke.
Asphalt Angels .
tr. from Dutch by Wanda Boeke. Front St. Tr $15.95. ISBN 1-886910-24-3.

This gritty, realistic novel about street kids in contemporary Rio de Janeiro is narrated by 13-year-old Alex, the newest member of a group of peers who call themselves the Asphalt Angels. Life on the streets is tough and the Angels do what they have to do in order to survive, including stealing, drug running, and prostituting themselves. Because Alex is a thoughtful kid who agonizes over every act of wrongdoing and flat-out refuses to engage in some criminal behavior, this compelling novel will inspire discussions of ethics and moral decisions. (Gr 8 Up)