Jakeman

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Review ------ "Highly Recommended." -- CM Magazine "Ellis explores important, often uncomfortable questions. Is a child's future predetermined by his circumstance? What can, and should, society do? The author's approach to this difficult topic is sensitive and age-appropriate. These are children society calls "damaged," but each youngster is resilient, full of potential, and still hopeful. Readers won't soon forget them." -- School Library Journal "This remarkable book centers on a bus load of inner city black and latino kids traveling by bus to spend Mother's Day visiting their moms, an aunt, and a grandmother who are in prison. Gives a taste of the real thing. Chilling." -- The Midwest Book Review "Ellis tackles some big issues - the interactions between the jailed mothers and the children are poignantly, heartbreakingly described - and the characters' feelings of fear, anger, and despair won't be lost on readers. . . Ellis's generally light touch makes the characters relatable; unexpected plot twists keep the action moving; and the current of sadness running through the book is realistic. -- Horn Book "In her customary way, Ellis addresses unpleasant realities most people ignore. . . But Ellis adds a spirit of creativity and steely hardiness that Jake and his friends have developed to survive and stay emotionally whole. The story takes a refreshingly comic, nicely improbable turn as the kids make off with the bus, pillage a church lunch, dodge and finally, through their own ingenuity, find a way to bring their plight to the attention of the state governor. Ellis doesn't bow to an easy ending, but celebrates kids' resourcefulness and resilience in a story that's both sad and comic." -- The Toronto Star Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) Book Description ---------------- Diamond Willow Award nominee, 2008 Silver Birch Fiction shortlist, 2007 CLA Children's Book of the Year Award 2008 shortlist VOYA's Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers list, 2007 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award nominee, 2008-2009 Read more ( javascript:void(0) ) See all Editorial Reviews ( /dp/product-description/1550415751/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&isInIframe=0 )