Lincoln Jones and his mother had to get up early in the morning, maybe before five a.m., to slip away from Cliff and his right hook, get the bus and escape to a whole new life. With the help of Aunt Ellie’s loan they got an apartment with a little heat and Ma got a job as a caregiver in a home for old folks with dementia..that’s right…the crazies.
Lincoln Jones carries these secrets with him when he starts his new school and finds himself the target of the bullies on the bus who love to fling their tuna in his direction. His southern accent makes him different and that’s all they need to declare their little war on him. So, Lincoln decides to walk to his Ma’s job at Brookside every afternoon when school is over. For Lincoln it’s a trip to Crazy Town.
That’s another secret he doesn’t want to share with anyone. If the bullies found out where he spends his afternoons, they’d have a field day making fun of him.
A merry-go-round cast of characters is about to catch up to Lincoln. Kandy Kain starts asking him questions and reading the stories he has written in his notebook. Ruby Hobbs dances buck naked in the halls of Brookside and sings her oldies at the top of her lungs. The Psychic Vampire shows her ugly neck and claims her first victim.
Turns out everyone has a secret or two. Turns out you can't know a person's secrets by looking at them.
How long will Lincoln keep his secrets? Will he ever feel safe enough to let someone else in? Will that special gift called being brave ever find its way to his house?
Funny, poignant and a beautiful invitation to share your own story.
978-1101-940402 Ages 8-12 272 pages
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
