Skylark

by Sara Cassidy

Overview

Angie lives in an old car with her brother and mother. Homeless after their father left to find work, the family struggles to stay together and live as normally as possible. It is difficult though. Between avoiding the police and finding new places to park each night, it is a constant struggle. When Angie discovers slam poetry, she finds a new way to express herself and find meaning and comfort in a confusing world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459805934
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	04/01/2014
Series:	Orca Soundings Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	136
Lexile:	HL770L (what's this?)
File size:	340 KB
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Sara Cassidy is a writer and editor. She is the author of 17 children’s books including Genius Jolene, winner of the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize, and Nevers, which was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award. Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Silver Birch Express Award, the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award, the Rocky Mountain Book Award and the Chocolate Lily Award. Sara also writes nonfiction and poetry for adults and works in communications for the BC Ministry of Health. She lives in Victoria, British Columbia.

Editorial Reviews

"Beautifully written...[Cassidy] demonstrates how much can be said, shown and suggested in compact fashion in this novel which is full bodied in its every aspect...In succinct, reverberating episodic chapters that merge past with present, Angie relates how her family came to be living in a car, what it is like for them to live there and her hope for a home. Angie’s narration reads like confessional/prose poem monologue...[The characters are] drawn by Cassidy with deeply affecting sensitivity."

The Vancouver Sun

"The plot is always moving forward to keep the reader engaged and interested. This perfectly mirrors the very heavy-handed 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

"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 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. Recommended."

CM Magazine

"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. The short chapters, simple language, and matter-of-fact narration make this Orca Soundings entry of appeal to reluctant readers."

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

"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. The short chapters, simple language, and matter-of-fact narration make this Orca Soundings entry of appeal to reluctant readers."

Booklist