Title: The Dollar Kids
Author: Jennifer Richard Jacobson Illustrator: Ryan Andrews
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publishing Date: August 7, 2018
Pages: 416
Genre: MG Contemporary/ Realistic Fiction
Genre: MG Contemporary/ Realistic Fiction
Series: Stand Alone
When a family buys a house in a struggling town for just one dollar, they’re hoping to start over — but have they traded one set of problems for another?
Twelve-year-old Lowen Grover, a budding comic-book artist, is still reeling from the shooting death of his friend Abe when he stumbles across an article about a former mill town giving away homes for just one dollar. It not only seems like the perfect escape from Flintlock and all of the awful memories associated with the city, but an opportunity for his mum to run her very own business. Fortunately, his family is willing to give it a try. But is the Dollar Program too good to be true? The homes are in horrible shape, and the locals are less than welcoming. Will Millville and the dollar house be the answer to the Grovers’ troubles? Or will they find they’ve traded one set of problems for another? From the author of Small as an Elephant and Paper Things comes a heart-tugging novel about guilt and grief, family and friendship, and, above all, community.
It involves the family the Grovers who are ready to move out of the city into small town life. The reason is because a friend of the middle child(Lowen) was shot and killed one day. Since that depressing day Lowen who once drew comics has had a hard time drawing anything other than comics involving his dead friend, Abe.
The town is almost a ghost town and has many people move out due to the paper mill in town shutting down. That caused many of its residents either to move or have their homes foreclosed on since they are unable to make payments.
So the banks gave the homes back to the town to help try to bring back the town. So the town council came up with the $1 house proposal to help bring more students back to town so they could have enough kids for sports. Because everything in small towns is dependent on sports and small businesses. Plus bring more business and people of certain skills to the town.
Lowen's mum has decided that she wants to open a cornish eatery in the town. Based off cornish past that she could make and serve. But as she attempts to serve food during the lunch hour since the town has no lunch place, a small business open during breakfast hourd decides to expand it hours.
This of course causes a back and forth battle to occur between the businesses and many financial difficulties for the Grover family. And of course Lowen is still dealing with the loss of his friend and the transition to small town life.
He has to enroll in sports to help the school have enough players to field a team. But he struggles in athletic ability and know how. At one point he scores a winning shot for the opposing team.
The story has some interesting developments as it goes along and deals with grief and growing up. I think the story is good, but could have benefited from more character development. I felt the characters really didn't jump off the page and become alive for me. I also felt the story may have taken on to many plot devices to really get at the main issues that Lowen is experiencing.
I give this book a slight recommendation for those who enjoy emotional, feel good stories.
An interesting realistic fiction that deals with grief, small town politics, and family struggles.
Jennifer Richard Jacobson has written many books for young readers, including stories about Andy Shane. She lives in Yarmouth, Maine.
Too bad the characters were a little bland.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a cute read. It's too bad the characters aren't as well developed as they could have been.
ReplyDelete