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Letting Go of Bobby James: Or How I Found My Self of Steam
A heartwarming journey to self-discovery
When sixteen-year-old Sally Jo Walker, known as Jody, is abandoned at a gas station by her husband after he hits her, she summons up all the courage she can to move forward. With just twenty dollars to her name, she begins a new life in Jackson Beach, Florida, washing dishes at Thelma's Open 24-Hour Café and sneaking into the cineplex at night to sleep. Eventually she saves up enough money to rent a cheap motel room. There she gets to know Effaline, and comes to see that here's a girl who is more alone and lost than she is. Jody is going to save her. And in trying to do so, Jody might just save herself.
At turns heart-wrenching and funny, Valerie Hobbs's latest novel introduces readers to an unforgettable and surprising young woman who manages to break free of an abusive relationship and finds true strength and her "self of steam."
When sixteen-year-old Sally Jo Walker, known as Jody, is abandoned at a gas station by her husband after he hits her, she summons up all the courage she can to move forward. With just twenty dollars to her name, she begins a new life in Jackson Beach, Florida, washing dishes at Thelma's Open 24-Hour Café and sneaking into the cineplex at night to sleep. Eventually she saves up enough money to rent a cheap motel room. There she gets to know Effaline, and comes to see that here's a girl who is more alone and lost than she is. Jody is going to save her. And in trying to do so, Jody might just save herself.
At turns heart-wrenching and funny, Valerie Hobbs's latest novel introduces readers to an unforgettable and surprising young woman who manages to break free of an abusive relationship and finds true strength and her "self of steam."
135 pages, Hardcover
First published August 13, 2004
6 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
About the author
Valerie Hobbs
26 books47 followersValerie Hobbs is the author of many award winning novels for young adults including Sonnys War, Tender, and How Far Would You Have Gotten If I Hadnt Called You Back, for which she was designated a Flying Start author by Publishers Weekly in 1996. Hobbs was the winner of the 1999 PEN/Norma Klein award for an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of childrens fiction and the Arizona Library Association Young Adult Author of the Year in 2003. Defiance, her most recent middle-grade novel, was given the 2006 most distinguished fiction award by the Childrens Literature Council of Southern California and has been nominated for twelve state awards. "
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 21, 2019
What a wonderful story! You will fall in love with Jody, the charming, young, and incredibly brave narrator. You will laugh and cry and remember some sweet life lessons.
“Thing is, not everything is what you expect. Not jobs or hurricanes or coleslaw or movies, and surely not husbands. But not to worry. You pull yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Then one day? Well, you open your eyes a bit wider and there’s the doors all painted, friends everywhere, and a baby drops into your hands. It’s a miracle.”
“Thing is, not everything is what you expect. Not jobs or hurricanes or coleslaw or movies, and surely not husbands. But not to worry. You pull yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Then one day? Well, you open your eyes a bit wider and there’s the doors all painted, friends everywhere, and a baby drops into your hands. It’s a miracle.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2017
Jody Walker who was 16, and only married for 13 weeks was left alone at a gas station in Jackson Beach, Florida (977.2 mi) away from her hometown Purley, Texas. Her husband, Bobby James, left her stranded after abusing her. With only $20 to her name she had to make a new life for herself. She did this by getting a job at Thelma’s 24 Hour Cafe’ washing dishes. Also sleeping in the cineplex at night, and sleeping in the theater chairs. Throughout this book Jody becomes a strong independent young lady.
Overall we feel like this book is relatively well written, but not descriptive enough for all different types of readers with different reading levels to understand. We feel this way because it doesn’t give enough detail about some of the important characters. Also, this makes the purpose of the book a little unclear.
Evidence from the text would be in the beginning Jody is writing to a man named Mr. Teeter, whose identity was never revealed in this book. Also, there was another character whose role was not descriptive enough in this book, and his name was Dooley. He was supposedly one of Jody’s best friends, and all the book described him as was a janitor at the cineplex.
We would recommend this book to anyone interested in teen drama and a strong, independent female role lead. We think this because the overall meaning behind this book is a teenage girl becoming a strong and independent individual by learning how to make a living on her own in a world so far away from home.
Overall we feel like this book is relatively well written, but not descriptive enough for all different types of readers with different reading levels to understand. We feel this way because it doesn’t give enough detail about some of the important characters. Also, this makes the purpose of the book a little unclear.
Evidence from the text would be in the beginning Jody is writing to a man named Mr. Teeter, whose identity was never revealed in this book. Also, there was another character whose role was not descriptive enough in this book, and his name was Dooley. He was supposedly one of Jody’s best friends, and all the book described him as was a janitor at the cineplex.
We would recommend this book to anyone interested in teen drama and a strong, independent female role lead. We think this because the overall meaning behind this book is a teenage girl becoming a strong and independent individual by learning how to make a living on her own in a world so far away from home.
October 24, 2017
Jody Walker who was 16, and only married for 13 weeks was left alone at a gas station in Jackson Beach, Florida (977.2 mi) away from her hometown Purley, Texas. Her husband, Bobby James, left her stranded after abusing her. With only $20 to her name she had to make a new life for herself. She did this by getting a job at Thelma’s 24 Hour Cafe’ washing dishes. Also sleeping in the cineplex at night, and sleeping in the theater chairs. Throughout this book Jody becomes a strong independent young lady.
Overall we feel like this book is relatively well written, but not descriptive enough for all different types of readers with different reading levels to understand. We feel this way because it doesn’t give enough detail about some of the important characters. Also, this makes the purpose of the book a little unclear.
Evidence from the text would be in the beginning Jody is writing to a man named Mr. Teeter, whose identity was never revealed in this book. Also, there was another character whose role was not descriptive enough in this book, and his name was Dooley. He was supposedly one of Jody’s best friends, and all the book described him as was a janitor at the cineplex.
We would recommend this book to anyone interested in teen drama and a strong, independent female role lead. We think this because the overall meaning behind this book is a teenage girl becoming a strong and independent individual by learning how to make a living on her own in a world so far away from home.
Overall we feel like this book is relatively well written, but not descriptive enough for all different types of readers with different reading levels to understand. We feel this way because it doesn’t give enough detail about some of the important characters. Also, this makes the purpose of the book a little unclear.
Evidence from the text would be in the beginning Jody is writing to a man named Mr. Teeter, whose identity was never revealed in this book. Also, there was another character whose role was not descriptive enough in this book, and his name was Dooley. He was supposedly one of Jody’s best friends, and all the book described him as was a janitor at the cineplex.
We would recommend this book to anyone interested in teen drama and a strong, independent female role lead. We think this because the overall meaning behind this book is a teenage girl becoming a strong and independent individual by learning how to make a living on her own in a world so far away from home.
July 20, 2020
Super quick, feel good read. Loved the main character. Have to suspend reality a LITTLE bit-but overall good message of standing up for yourself and doing good for others.
November 21, 2022
This book is a good story of self reliance. Loved it.
March 22, 2023
I finished this book in two days! I didn’t enjoy the ending, but I think it was realistic which is the best thing you can get out of a book about a young girl making her way from nothing.
October 22, 2016
This was one of the best books that I have read. It was short and sweet, but packed a punch. Sally Jo Walker (Jody) makes coleslaw...she was also just punched by her husband, Bobby James. Jody and Bobby James have a tumultuous relationship to say the least. They are headed cross country on their honeymoon. They are both from down south, with no money. Jody's mother thinks that Jody should cowtow to her new husband, much like her mother does to her husband. "It's God's Way" is her favorite saying. On a roadtrip to Florida, they stop at Jackson Beach to go to the restroom. Bobby James loses his temper and hits Jody. Jody very calmly goes into the bathroom and washes herself. She spends so much time in there she hears Bobby James drive away. In my opinion she did this on purpose. Jody is such a strong willed character that I found her inspirational in a way. She didn't have any money or clothes save $20 in her pocket. She found work at Thelma's 24-Hour Diner and quickly made friends. This tells the story of a girl who found herself abandoned by even her family as she starts from the ground up on a whole new and improved life.
February 8, 2014
I love the title! And the reference to a great Willie Nelson song I did not know, "Forgiving you is easy, but forgetting seems to take the longest time."
I was confused by what seems to be the introduction of two new characters near the end of the book, on page 116 - Phyliss and Big Al. I did not remember and could not find them mentioned previously. Had that section been edited out of the book?
My favorite line was on page 130: "Out here it looks like the end of the world, like God ran clean out of ideas and closed up shop."
I was confused by what seems to be the introduction of two new characters near the end of the book, on page 116 - Phyliss and Big Al. I did not remember and could not find them mentioned previously. Had that section been edited out of the book?
My favorite line was on page 130: "Out here it looks like the end of the world, like God ran clean out of ideas and closed up shop."
July 22, 2008
Reflections of Billie Letts's Where the Heart Is, and Joan Bauer's YA novels, but JOdy is a strong little girl, actually a married woman at 16, to a jerk of a teenager...Bobby James is not a nice person. He leaves her stranded in a little town in Florida, where she begins to thrive.
Quirky characters and a great cole slaw recipe...what more can you ask for?
Quirky characters and a great cole slaw recipe...what more can you ask for?
April 29, 2008
This is one I bought at Children's Literature Fall Gala 2006 when my friend, Karen, took me with her. We had lunch and heard Avi read aloud and talk; then we stood in line and got things signed.
Its first-person narrative works pretty well, as much as I can tell, not being Southern, but the urban-family resolution, though sweet, seemed a little pat to me. One of my students is reading it now, and I'm waiting to see how she likes it. So far, she does. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Its first-person narrative works pretty well, as much as I can tell, not being Southern, but the urban-family resolution, though sweet, seemed a little pat to me. One of my students is reading it now, and I'm waiting to see how she likes it. So far, she does. Keeping my fingers crossed.
June 23, 2008
Sixteen year-old Sally Jo Walker (Jody) is left by her new husband, Bobby James at a Florida gas station, hundreds of miles from home and anything familiar. As this young innocent starts a new life for herself, she begins to discover her “self of steam” as she makes some difficult decisions in order to stand up for herself and help a new friend in need.
November 9, 2008
This is strictly a "chick" book, but it has a great lesson for girls...DON'T STAY WITH A GUY WHO HITS YOU! Jody, the main character is a drop-out who marries Bobby James very young. He hits her once, and then he leaves her stranded when she doesn't come out of the restroom at a gas station. She is left to make her way in the world, and she does a wonderful job.
November 12, 2008
This book was really cute. First off I had to read it because my boyfriends name is Bobby James, so I wanted to see how they compared to each other. Completely different personalities!
But the story was basically about a girl who was trying to pick her self up after her boyfriend had dumped her. It was really interesting and uplifting.
But the story was basically about a girl who was trying to pick her self up after her boyfriend had dumped her. It was really interesting and uplifting.
March 24, 2011
Sally Jo (Jody) Walker loves Bobby James, but he hit her, then abandoned her in a gas station bathroom. Now she is on her own, trying to survive. She finds a job as a dishwasher at Thelma's Open 24 Hour Cafe. She finds friends there, and friends in pregnant Effaline and Dooley. Now Jody must decide if she wants her new life or Bobby James more.
March 11, 2008
Letting Go of Bobby James and How I found my Self of Steam was a great book for anyone who has ever had a bad relationship, or even seen abad relationship. It makes you feel like you are a part of the story and it's pretty easy reading.
September 27, 2008
I really liked this book because it was short, a day read. It was also kinda innocent, in that non-educated way. But sometimes the non-educated are smarter than the educated, all because they are not educated.
Word to the wise. ;)
Well anyway, I really liked Jody, and I hope you will too.
Word to the wise. ;)
Well anyway, I really liked Jody, and I hope you will too.
March 29, 2009
I loved this book! Every young girl who wants to grow up and have a happy life needs to read it...and every young boy who wants to grow up to be a good man! It's frightening and funny at the same time.
March 5, 2015
It was difficult to read a book that has an unintelligent narrator. The title says it all.[return][return]After being left by her husband at a gas station in Florida, sixteen-year-old Sally Jo Walker, also known as Jody, makes some difficult decisions and a better life for herself.
October 10, 2010
I think this book is amazing. Im a 13 year old, and I've read this book 3 times, in 6th grade, in 7th grade, and now in 8th, I love it so much. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone! Not a waste of time.
February 5, 2008
This was a great book!
It was very inspiring and cute.
I guess it was sort of my first favorite book.
It was very inspiring and cute.
I guess it was sort of my first favorite book.
May 23, 2008
Some of the protagonist's conflict seemed a bit too easily resolved. However, it's an entertaining story about a difficult subject told in a strongvoice. A quick read.
November 18, 2008
This was a great read for teens which will show them the consequences of bad choices. It is funny, but at the same time shows how serious life can be for young people on their own.
March 30, 2009
This book was pretty okay.
It wasn't the best book I've read recently. The writing was kinda jumbled together.
It wasn't the best book I've read recently. The writing was kinda jumbled together.
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April 14, 2009my bro is reading this book and said it is good so i will read it
November 15, 2009
This book started of confusing because she's writing a letter but then you understand why shes writing the letter, pretty much the whole book is the letter. This book is awesome.
March 19, 2015
Short but poignant story about a young girl dealing with domestic violence.
August 15, 2015
This requires a good amount of suspension of disbelief for a few parts, but if you want a sweet story with a great no-nonsense main character, this might be right up your alley.
October 1, 2010
Boring !
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews