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Fifteen and Change
Zeke would love to be invisible. His mother is struggling to make ends meet and stuck with a no-good boyfriend. Zeke knows he and his mom will be stuck forever if he doesn't find some money fast. When Zeke starts working at a local pizza place, he meets labor activists who want to give him a voice, and the living wage he deserves for his work. Zeke has to decide between living the quiet life he's carved for himself and raising his voice for justice.
* Reviews *
"Page-long free-verse poems evocatively describe Zeke's experiences and quickly propel the story forward. Readers will easily sympathize with the all-too-true-to-life situations with which the characters are coping. This novel has many appealing aspects that will draw readers in." —Kirkus
"An exceptionally well-written novel by an author who has impressively mastered character- and narrative-driven storytelling, Fifteen and Change is an especially recommended addition to school and community library Contemporary General Fiction collections for young readers." —Midwest Book Review
"This novel in verse has a sense of urgency. Short poems provide readers with snapshots of life in poverty, loneliness in high school, and the unfair treatment of fast food employees by management." —School Library Journal
RL
Grades
3-4 IL
Grades
9-12+ GRL
N
