Street Pharm by Allison van Diepen

Ty Johnson is at the top of his game, following in his father’s footsteps and making a fortune selling drugs. Even though his dad is serving time, Ty still gets plenty of advice from him -- including the name and phone number of a hitman to take out Darkman, a new competitor. But Ty is not just like his father and the decision he makes about Darkman and his crew might just cost him his life.

Ty struggles to find a balance between keeping his rep as “King of the Streets” and having an ordinary high school life. While his dad is relying on him to keep the business running, his mom insists he leave the streets alone. When he meets the girl of his dreams, he realizes he might need to leave his street life behind before she discovers who he really is. Street Pharm has long been a favorite among students at Passages Academy; it ranks among the most popular novels in our libraries. --Anja Kennedy

van Diepen, Allison.  Street Pharm.  New York: Simon Pulse-Simon & Schuster, 2006.  Print.

Almost Home by Jessica Blank

Elly is twelve and too terrified to tell anyone that her step-brother rapes her almost every night.  After her peers mercilessly bully her and assault her one day after school, she is rescued by a mysterious teen who teaches her how to dumpster dive and sleep on pavement.  Elly crosses paths with similarly traumatized and presently homeless teens and Blank’s narrative switches narrators each time a new chapter begins.  This gritty young adult novel, set in L.A., will be too much for some, and all too familiar for others.  Almost Home can be viewed as a cautionary tale that ultimately conveys that leaving danger does not always mean finding safety.   School librarians will want to be aware that this unblinking depiction of teen homelessness includes sexual exploitation, rape, and drug abuse.  Recommended for independent reading for older teens. --Jessica Fenster-Sparber

Blank, Jessica.  Almost Home.  New York: Hyperion, 2007. Print.

Hyperion has published a discussion guide authored by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer which includes discussion questions, project ideas, and a short interview with the author.  Access it here.

Saint Iggy by K.L.Going

It is a week before Christmas and third-year freshman, Iggy Corso, has been suspended again (this time it’s looking permanent), but that is hardly the worst of his concerns.  His mom has been missing for weeks, presumably on a meth-fueled bender, and his father is too drunk or stoned to care.  With his principal’s admonition to do “something that contributes to the world” ringing in his ears, Iggy makes a plan.  It has five steps:

1. make a plan

2. get out of the Projects

3. do something with [his] life

4. change everyone’s mind about [him]

5. get back into school

For assistance and advice he turns to his friend and mentor, Mo, a wealthy college dropout with an escalating drug habit that is about to get them both into a lot of very serious trouble.  Can Iggy’s relentless optimism and drive get both their lives back on track?  How many ways can a sixteen year old, with little education and no skills, contribute to the world?

Written in the first person, from Iggy’s perspective, Saint Iggy is a gritty, urban drama with an amusingly wry voice.  Despite its Lexile level of 1190, Saint Iggy’s generous use of whitespace, and realistic teen voice, make it an accessible and engaging read for a fluent high school reader. --Regan Schwartz

Going, K.L. Saint Iggy. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2006. Print.