Can’t Get There from Here by Todd Strasser

The New York City streets that Maybe and her tribe of homeless teens have called home for months are growing colder and more desolate with each passing day.  As the winter wears on and intensifies, the group struggles to survive, spending their days and nights in ever-more-desperate searches for shelter and food.  For Maybe, life on the streets is a better option than going home, but trust is hard to come by.  She learned a long time ago that adults lie and cheat and generally want something in return for any small kindness.  As the temperature drops and her friends begin to disappear, can Maybe learn to trust in time to save herself?

Written in Maybe’s humble voice, the narrative is fairly straightforward and easy to follow.  However, it is interspersed with short biographical sketches that may prove a bit confusing at first.  While the situations and events portrayed are uncomfortable and ugly, the language is not, making this book suitable for sensitive middle grade readers and classroom use. --Regan Schwartz

Strasser, Todd. Can’t Get There From Here. New York: Simon Pulse, 2004. Print.