Ivy, Homeless In San Francisco

(Paperback)

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Description

In this empathetic tale of hope, understanding and the importance of family, young readers are introduced to the difficult issue of poverty and the many hardships of being homeless through an inspiring young heroine named Ivy. Blending a spoonful of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist (Penguin Classics, 2010) with a dash of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City (Black Swan, 2007) and a few pinches of the Adventures of Lassie, Ivy's tale will appeal to young readers as well as give adults material to discuss with them.

Reviews

"Ivy is an engaging, educational experience, with emotional range, density of characters, a cinematic visual imagination, and a heroine wild at heart. We have a lot to learn about homelessness, and Summer Brenner's saga of fractured family and redeeming friendship takes us deep inside the experience, while agitating our broader concern with social justice. All this in a lucid, poetic prose. She not only will get young people to read but make them want to write as well."
--John Broughton, associate professor of psychology & education, Teachers College, Columbia University

"Ivy is a story of homelessness. It is full of risk and tenderness, pain and insight all mixed with fear and hope. Author Summer Brenner engages readers by setting a course for a young girl and her father that requires connection and kindness in an uneasy world. Genuine characters tell the tale that is at once prickly and gentle. Readers will gain a picture of what over 1.5 million children in the U.S. experienced this year. Ivy is a lovely book on a tough condition."
--Lyn Palme, library specialist, Contra Costa County, CA

"Summer Brenner's Ivy, Homeless in San Francisco, wraps itself around enough realism to give young readers hope that there are good people in our world and that good things do happen, often when least expected. My sixth grade San Francisco Bay Area English students always enjoy the magic that envelops Ivy. Summer's poetic language captures the essence of San Francisco."
--Janet Volkmann, teacher, Oakland Unified School District

"This is a truly remarkable tale of an all-too-common plight faced by many people. Yet nothing about this story is common... This book will teach your kids truth and forgiveness in the strangest yet most comforting of ways. I also feel you will find yourself unable to put this book down whether you're a teenager or an adult. Packed with emotion and love, this is a book that needs to be read. You will cry and laugh, but most of all you will wonder to yourself, 'Bad luck, good luck. Who knows'"
--CL, ivillage.com

"...Lolitas, Oliver Twists, and Huckleberry Finns live on, and now, Ivy's tale of hope lives right alongside them."
--Robin Clewley, San Francisco Chronicle

"[The novel] teaches students what it's like to be homeless. It also deals with the foster care system, the importance of family, and keeping hope for the future. Seventh and eighth graders at James Denman Middle School in San Francisco were so inspired by the book that they made a quilt about the story of Ivy."
--California Educator

"Summer Brenner has written a quirky, clever story about a young girls' journey through the streets and homeless shelters of San Francisco... Ivy is fictional, but her circumstances are honest reflections of life for the many homeless children... With its happy ending, this novel strikes a good balance between reality and sensibility."
--San Jose Mercury News

Author Bio

Summer Brenner is the author of 10 books, including I-5, Richmond Tales, and The Soft. She lives in Berkeley, California. Brian Bowes is an illustrator and a designer. He lives in San Francisco.