City of Victoria Children's Book Prize Finalist
CCBC Best Books 2014 |
Angie lives with her brother and mother in a Buick Skylark after an injury costs her mother her job and her father crosses the country for work. Open mike night at a local café introduces Angie to slam poetry. Poetry - whether reading, writing, or performing it - allows Angie to shape and transcend her story.
"Deeply affecting sensitivity. Beautifully written. Full-bodied in its every aspect." - The Vancouver Sun "An excellent, brief look at homelessness and resiliency." - Puget Sound Review of Children's Media "A lot of power in a small package...without a wasted word." - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
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Reviews
"In her beautifully written story [Cassidy] demonstrates how much can be said, shown and suggested in compact fashion in this novel which is full bodied in its every aspect…These [characters] are “people you’d trust your life to,” to use the title of Bronwen Wallace’s short story collection — drawn by Cassidy with deeply affecting sensitivity." The Vancouver Sun Full review.
"Angie Kirkpatrick has a rolling address. After her father, an unemployed bricklayer, leaves the family to find work in another city, the 14-year-old, her mother, and her 16-year-old brother find themselves living in their 1982 Buick Skylark. Angie’s mom attempts to keep the family routine as normal as she can as they wait for a subsidized apartment, managing a complex maze of ever-changing parking spots and visits to the public library and pool. A chance visit to the family’s favorite coffee shop during a poetry slam inspires Angie to write and begin competing. Soon she is able to channel her pain and fear into art and finds something positive to cling to in the midst of the chaos. The story’s tidy resolution is foreshadowed in the opening pages, but any teen who has felt like an outsider will identify with Angie’s attraction to the coffee-shop scene and be inspired by her family’s determination to support one another. Grades 6-9." Booklist
"Contains a lot of power in a small package; the prose is straightforward yet lyrical, without a wasted word. The result is an ultimately uplifting treatment of a difficult subject that is both accessible and artful...Angie’s poetic sensibilities give her the through-line she needs to cope with being homeless and enable the book to deliver its message without being messagey; readers needn’t be strongly committed to poetry to appreciate this, but those that are won’t be disappointed." The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"The plot is always moving forward to keep the reader engaged and interested. This perfectly mirrors the very heavy-handed [sic] subject matter, by presenting it in an easy to access way... A very rewarding read and one in which at-risk students will find hope." Resource Links
"The plot is believable and has quick pacing, making it a pleasure to read...The book fulfills expectations for a high-low reader and would make a great addition to any middle school library." CM Magazine
"In her beautifully written story [Cassidy] demonstrates how much can be said, shown and suggested in compact fashion in this novel which is full bodied in its every aspect…These [characters] are “people you’d trust your life to,” to use the title of Bronwen Wallace’s short story collection — drawn by Cassidy with deeply affecting sensitivity." The Vancouver Sun Full review.
"Angie Kirkpatrick has a rolling address. After her father, an unemployed bricklayer, leaves the family to find work in another city, the 14-year-old, her mother, and her 16-year-old brother find themselves living in their 1982 Buick Skylark. Angie’s mom attempts to keep the family routine as normal as she can as they wait for a subsidized apartment, managing a complex maze of ever-changing parking spots and visits to the public library and pool. A chance visit to the family’s favorite coffee shop during a poetry slam inspires Angie to write and begin competing. Soon she is able to channel her pain and fear into art and finds something positive to cling to in the midst of the chaos. The story’s tidy resolution is foreshadowed in the opening pages, but any teen who has felt like an outsider will identify with Angie’s attraction to the coffee-shop scene and be inspired by her family’s determination to support one another. Grades 6-9." Booklist
"Contains a lot of power in a small package; the prose is straightforward yet lyrical, without a wasted word. The result is an ultimately uplifting treatment of a difficult subject that is both accessible and artful...Angie’s poetic sensibilities give her the through-line she needs to cope with being homeless and enable the book to deliver its message without being messagey; readers needn’t be strongly committed to poetry to appreciate this, but those that are won’t be disappointed." The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
"The plot is always moving forward to keep the reader engaged and interested. This perfectly mirrors the very heavy-handed [sic] subject matter, by presenting it in an easy to access way... A very rewarding read and one in which at-risk students will find hope." Resource Links
"The plot is believable and has quick pacing, making it a pleasure to read...The book fulfills expectations for a high-low reader and would make a great addition to any middle school library." CM Magazine
