Tent City Princess

Gr 7–10—Kenz is a high-achieving sophomore who strives to excel at school in order to be selected for the Battelle Young Leaders Program. Being chosen for the program will not only help her win a college scholarship but will get her family out of Tent City, a struggling community of tents and RVs where Kenz and her family set up after her dad lost his job and the bank foreclosed on their home. The loss of their house has acutely affected each family member: her father suffers from depression, her mother works many late nights, her younger brother falls in with a boy whose negative influence has him smoking, stealing, and drinking, and Kenz is just trying to hold it all together. Her parents will not allow her to reveal their secret to anyone, including her grandmother, but Kenz confides in her best friend, Jenny, who helps when she can. She is terrified that her crush, Rico, will find out the truth. Kenz is a typical teenager in a sadly realistic situation. This quick read deals deftly with a topical issue and illustrates the importance of asking for help.—Kefira Phillipe, Nichols Middle School, Evanston, IL