Keesha's House is a 2003 award winning debut young adult verse novel by American author Helen Frost. The book's story is told through multiple poems and concerns a group of teenagers that are all drawn to the house of the title character Keesha due to serious issues in their personal lives.
 First edition | |
| Author | Helen Frost |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult, poetry |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
Publication date | April 2, 2003 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 128 pages |
| ISBN | 0374340641 |
Synopsis
editThe book follows several teenagers that have come to Keesha's house in search of a safe haven. Each teen has something that is going wrong in their life. Young couple Stephie and Jason are having troubles due to her teen pregnancy, with Jason feeling pressure due to him feeling like he has to choose between a potential sports career and his responsibilities. Dontay and Carmen both have had interactions with the legal system. Carmen must deal with a DUI charge while Dontay is shuffled through the foster care system due to his parents being in prison. Meanwhile, Harris and Katie are both experiencing trouble with their family members. Harris has come out to his father, only to be disowned. Katie can't understand why her mother remains with her abusive stepfather and tries to escape her situation by becoming a workaholic in every aspect of her life.
Reception
editInitial critical reception for Keesha's House has been predominantly positive.[1][2] Booklist and the School Library Journal have both praised the audiobook adaptation's narration, with the School Library journal commenting that it was a "perfect vehicle for teaching high school poetry".[3][4]
Awards
edit- Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year, 2004[citation needed]
- Michael L. Printz Honor Award, 2004[5]
- YALSA's "Selected Videos, DVDs, and Audiobooks For Young Adults", 2005[6]
Stage adaptation
editIn 2004 the book was adapted into a stage play by Fort Wayne's Youtheatre.[7]
References
edit- ^ "Keesha's House". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Children's Review: Keesha's House". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Booklist audio review: Keesha's House". Booklist. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Audio of the Week--Keesha's House (unabr.)". School Library Journal. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Michael L. Printz Winners and Honor Books". YALSA. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "YALSA's 2005 Selected Videos, DVDs, and Audiobooks For Young Adults". School Library Journal. Retrieved 13 December 2012.
- ^ "Young actors, complex emotions, "Keesha's House" ventures into the territory of troubled teens". News-Sentinel. April 22, 2004. Retrieved 13 December 2012.