America (2002) - E.R. Frank

America (2002) – E.R. Frank

Simon & Schuster Pulse, 242 pages, ISBN 9780689857720

(photo credit: www.goodreads.com)

Awards:

Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award (2003) 

ALA’s Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults (2003) 

Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee (NJ)

German Youth Literature Award Nominee

 Annotation: 15-year-old America, bi-racial son of a crack addict, has fallen through the cracks of a state system that is supposed to help turn him from a juvenile delinquent into a normal member of society. Moving through a revolving door of foster homes, state agencies, therapists, and friends, America desperately seeks to understand who he is before he becomes just another statistic. 

Booktalk: What do you do when no one wants you? Who do you trust when everyone close to you hurts you? If you’re 15-year-old America, it’s tough to know who to trust. You can’t trust your parents when you don’t have them. You can’t trust your siblings and half-siblings who steal and vandalize. You can’t trust your therapist Dr. B. because he wants to talk about things you'd rather keep hidden. You can’t trust your friends who are encouraging you to do things you know you shouldn’t. You can’t even trust your feelings, a mixture of turn-ons including fantasies of both men and women. You’re not even sure you want to be alive. What do you do?