The Other Side of the Tracks
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-- School Library Journal, 4/2/2008 7:32:00 AM
“The grass is always greener on the other side” may be a good subtitle for this set of books. As some of the characters discover, being poor is hard, but there are some things that are even worse. Another teen finds that the very thing she craves in order to be different from her family is exactly what sends her running back to them. Use these titles to prompt discussion on diversity, class distinction, and religious differences.
GARSEE, Jeannine. Before, After, and Somebody in Between. Bloomsbury. 2007. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-59990-022-3.
Gr 9-12–Martha Kowalski lives in the Cleveland projects with her alcoholic mother and her mother’s abusive boyfriend. She has her late father’s penchant for classical music, but her mother shows no interest. Martha lands in a foster home (make that a fabulously luxe mansion) with very generous sponsors who loan her a very old, rare cello that gets her into a music academy. Then reality comes crashing in. Recommend to teens looking for gritty urban fiction.
KERR, M.E. I Stay near You: One Story in Three. Harcourt. 2006. pap. $6.95. ISBN 978-0-15-205589-9.
Gr 8-12–Kerr ties together this multigenerational story with a gold ring that passes through the hands of Mildred Cone Haigney’s family. Mildred broke the cycle of poverty by “marrying up,” and her heirs struggle to keep their balance as history pushes both failure and success into their lives. Just melodramatic enough to qualify as Danielle Steele for teens.
SCHORR, Melissa. Goy Crazy. Hyperion. 2006. RTE $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-3852-3; pap. $8.99. ISBN 978-0-7868-3853-0.
Gr 9-12–Why can’t Rachel Lowenstein just fall for Howard, the nice Jewish boy next door? Why is Luke Christiansen, the blond Catholic boy, so much more appealing? This hilarious book is full of true-to-life teen angst, including forbidden love, discussions of premarital sex, and a Web site scandal. Lauren Myracle fans will eat this one up.
SIMMONS, Michael. Pool Boy. Millbrook/Roaring Brook. 2003. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-7613-1885-9; PLB $22.90. ISBN 978-0-7613-2924-4.
Gr 7-11–White collar crime sends Brett’s dad to jail for years, resulting in his fall from upper-income grace. He has to bunk with an eccentric great-aunt across town and even get a job–after flunking out at Fast Burger, he becomes the assistant to Alfie, the local pool guy, who helps him through this tough time in an unexpected way.
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