Thursday, June 1, 2017

Van Draanen, Wendelin. THE SECRET LIFE OF LINCOLN JONES

Van Draanen, Wendelin.  
THE SECRET LIFE OF LINCOLN JONES
New York : Knopf, 2015

IL 3-6, RL 4.3
ISBN  1101940409
Sixth-grader Lincoln Jones is new to town. His mom finally found the strength to get out of an abusive relationship and they’ve moved north and into a dive apartment in the not-so-great part of town. That wouldn’t be so bad, but his mom won’t let him stay home alone after school. So every weekday, Lincoln walks the twelve blocks to Brookside where she works. And Lincoln will do anything to keep his after school time at Brookside secret from his classmates. He’s already got enough troubles being the new kid with a southern accent, imagine what they’d say if they found out he was spending his afternoons with elderly memory-care patients like the naked, dancing Ruby Hobbs and Debbie, who shouts across the room to ask his name every day. While his mother works as a caregiver, Lincoln does his schoolwork and writes stories in his ever-present notebook. But when a nosy classmate by the name of Kandi Kane seems to be stalking him, Lincoln begins to worry. What he learns is that other people have secrets of their own. Tough subjects about aging and fitting in are handled with humor and compassion.  
(New Hampshire Great Stone Face Award nominee, 2018) Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/Q5QkItFDtdQVW

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