{"title":"Young Adult Fiction--Social Themes--Poverty \u0026 Homelessness","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"scorpions-a-newbery-honor-award-winner","title":"Scorpions: A Newbery Honor Award Winner","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Scorpions are a gun-toting Harlem gang, and Jamal Hicks is about to become tragically involved with them in this authentic tale of the sacrifice of innocence and the struggle to steer clear of violence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis Newbery Honor Book will challenge young men to consider their own decisions as they come of age in a complex and often frustrating society.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePushed by a bully to fight and nagged by his principal, Jamal is having a difficult time staying in school. 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Printz Honor Book \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Arguably one of the finest novels of the year.\"--\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review) \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eA resourceful teenager in rural Vermont struggles to hold on to the family home while his mom recovers from addiction in this striking debut novel. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIan Gray isn't supposed to have a dog, but a lot of things that shouldn't happen end up happening anyway. And Gather, Ian's adopted pup, is good company now that Ian has to quit the basketball team, find a job, and take care of his mom as she tries to overcome her opioid addiction. Despite the obstacles thrown their way, Ian is determined to keep his family afloat no matter what it takes. And for a little while, things are looking up: Ian makes friends, and his fondness for the outdoors and for fixing things lands him work helping neighbors. But an unforeseen tragedy results in Ian and his dog taking off on the run, trying to evade a future that would mean leaving their house and their land. Even if the community comes together to help him, would Ian and Gather have a home to return to? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eTold in a wry, cautious first-person voice that meanders like a dog circling to be sure it's safe to lie down, Kenneth M. 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Even if it means letting people in.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuill Jenkins used to have a great life: a picture-perfect family, a big house in a nice neighborhood, and a best friend he could count on. But then his friend moved away, his brother left for college, and his dad's drinking caused his parents to split. Now Quill and his mom live in a broken-down rental house owned by a neglectful landlord, who also happens to be the father of Quill's high school nemesis.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore than anything, Quill wants to save enough money for a new house, but his mom refuses to let him get a job. So when he finds a hidden attic space inside his closet, then overhears the pet store owner arguing with a delinquent roach breeder, an idea is born. He strikes a deal and starts breeding roaches in the hidden room, reluctantly working with his classmate Harley and Harley's twin sister, Zuri, to keep the whole operation a secret.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut as the roach business takes off, new complications arise: his dad's condition steadily worsens, his beloved neighbor Mr. Dave suddenly goes MIA, and Quill learns that the truth has a way of creeping into the light.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Roach King of Raleigh\u003c\/em\u003e: \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eis a contemporary young adult novel for readers 13 and up and adult fans of YA\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ecomes from Shannon Stocker, the winner of the 2023 Schneider Family Award for \u003cem\u003eListen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eis a powerful coming-of-age story that explores poverty, addiction, neurodiversity, friendship, and resilience\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv style=\"display:none\"\u003eISBN-10: 0310178398\u003cbr\u003eISBN-13: 9780310178392\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Stocker, Shannon\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Blink\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Blink","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover (Mar 2026)","offer_id":46080884080837,"sku":"9780310178392","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0708\/6414\/2533\/files\/9780310178392.jpg?v=1776041426"},{"product_id":"junkyard-dogs","title":"Junkyard Dogs","description":"\u003cb\u003eA suspenseful and gut-wrenching story of an unhoused teenager struggling to survive a criminal scrapping ring while unraveling a dark family history\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJosh's father has gone missing without a trace, and Gran's ready to call social services. 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