Asphalt Tribe: Kinder der Strasse

by Todd Strasser, Werner Schmitz (Translator)

Sie sind zu acht und nennen sich "Asphalt Tribe" - ein Stamm, der auf der Straße zu überleben versucht. Rainbow, die an der Nadel hängt, und der Anarchist Maggot, 2Moro und Jewel, die sich auf dem Strich den Rausch der Clubbing-Nächte verdienen, OG und sein Hund Pest, die kleine Tears und Maybe, die Berichterstatterin. Maybe erzählt von Kälte und Hunger, von Sozialarbeitern und Zuhältern, von durchtanzten Nächten und verschlafenen Tagen, von Stolz und Erniedrigung. Doch der Preis der Freiheit ist hoch und fordert tödlichen Tribut.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Abuse, Teen, School

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Todd Strasser is an American author of more than 130 novels for adults, young-adults, and middle graders.

His most recent novel is Summer of '69

Booklist review: "Drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll, those hallmarks of the summer of 1969, are all here, but there's so much more. In this loosely autobiographical novel, Strasser introduces 18-year-old Lucas, who is bright and sensitive but also a screw up…. The picture painted of the Woodstock music festival shows the dark side of peace and love, and the prevalence of drugs is on almost every page…The best part of the book, however, is the one that transcends eras: Lucas' introspection as he contemplates his place in the world."

Kirkus review: "Strasser perfectly captures the golden haze of youth and life on the cusp of adulthood. Readers fascinated with this time period will find much to enjoy... Vietnam, Woodstock, road trips, and acid trips: a sweetly bittersweet, surprising, even melancholy bildungsroman set against a world in flux. Groovy, man."

His most recent young adult novel is Price of Duty:
2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
“Compact and suspenseful, the novel raises important questions about war.” – Kirkus 
“This thought-provoking book is both welcome and imperative.” – Booklist * (starred review).
"Rather than attempting to sway the reader, it offers awareness." - VOYA 
“Tightly wound and compelling ... appropriate for an older middle school and high school audience. VERDICT: Highly recommended.” – School Library Journal 

Bio: Todd was born in New York City. When he was young his parents moved to Roslyn Heights, New York (Long Island). Todd went to the I.U. Willets Elementary school and then attended the Wheatley School for junior high and high school. His best subjects were math and science. He also liked to read, but he had trouble with spelling and grammar, and didn't do well in English. His favorite sports were tennis, skiing and fishing. Todd went to college at New York University for a few years, and then dropped out. He lived on a commune, then lived in Europe where he was a street musician.

All the while, Todd wrote songs and poems and lots of letters to his friends back home. Finally he decided to try being a writer. He returned to the United States and went to Beloit College where he studied literature and writing.

After college, Todd worked at the Middletown Times Herald-Record newspaper in Middletown, New York, and later at Compton Advertising in New York City. In 1978, Todd sold his first novel, Angel Dust Blues. He used the money to start the Dr. Wing Tip Shoo fortune cookie company. For the next 12 years, Todd sold more fortune cookies than books.

Todd now divides his time between writing books and speaking at schools and conferences. When he's at home, he likes to spend time with his children and dog, Cooper. He still likes to play tennis and ski, but his favorite new sport is surfing.

Reviews

[sAmAnE · Rating 4 out of 5]

من این کتاب رو از بخش کتاب‌های نوجوان یک کتاب‌فروشی برداشتم. ولی به نظرم اصلا کتابش مناسب نوجوانان نبود. کتاب در مورد بچه‌های خیابانی و چالش‌ها و مشکلاتی بود که هر کدوم باهاش مواجه میشن. نوجوانانی که از خانواده طرد شدند و گرفتار دنیای بی‌رحم بیرون هستند.

نامزد جایزه کتاب نوجوانان رود آیلند سال 2006
نامزد جایزه ادبیات جوانان آلمان سال 2005

[سپیده سالاروند · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب داستان بچه‌های خیابونی نیویورکه و داره فرایندی که خیابون بچه‌ها رو نابود می‌کنه رو برامون تعریف می‌کنه. به نظر من خوب دراورده بود داستان رو و کلیشه‌ای نبود جز انتهاش که راستش خوشحالم نکرد. منم می‌دونم هر بچه‌ای باید خونه‌ای داشته باشه ولی روند داستان تا بیست صفحه‌ی آخر خیلی درست‌تر بود، آخرش انگار یهو ناشر به نویسنده گفته بود: پیام اخلاقی‌ها رو بده و سعی کن بچه‌ها رو منع کنی از فرار از خونه...
ولی خب من حتمن توصیه می‌کنم خوندنش رو. چون کتاب با این موضوع خیلی کمه و واقعا درست پردازش شده و بچه‌ها واقعی‌ان و داستان کاملا درگیرکننده است و مطمئنم رنگین‌کمان، خرمگس، شایدی و اشکی تا مدت‌ها توی سرم می‌مونن و با دیدن بچه‌های واقعی در خیابون یادشون می‌کنم.

راستی اصلا نمی‌دونم چرا در سری نوجوان فروخته می‌شه کتاب، حتا پشتش هم نوشته «داستان جوان». به نظر من که برای همه‌ی سنینه و بیشتر برای بزرگترها.یا نوجوان‌های بالای پونزده سال مثلا.

[Lisa Litberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Maggot said we should go up to Times Square to watch the ball drop and pick some pockets, but we never got around to it."

I have always been fascinated with homeless street kids, ever since I went to Portland in 1994 where there was an abundance of them. I became rather close to one named Dave, who used to wear safety pins in his eyebrows so that they hung over his eyes. They reminded me of tears. You see these "street punks" everywhere: Bourbon Street in New Orleans, The Haight in San Francisco, hanging out by The Alley in Chicago in the late 80s, and of course on Grateful Dead tour. Some were running from something, some running to something. All of them had stories, some real, some exaggerated, some completely fictionalized. But all of them were desperate for some kind of acceptance--even if it was acceptance through society's rejection.

Can't Get There From Here illustrates the predicament of a "tribe" of street kids braving a New York City winter. Almost all of them have traded a dangerous, miserable life for one even more miserable and dangerous. Strasser tells their stories, and clearly shows what a dangerous world they inhabit. In some ways, this book may not be completely realistic, but in others it is very real. One aspect I liked was his interpretation of why these kids would turn down opportunities in youth shelters for the dangers of street life. It is a quick, enjoyable read, and certainly provides some food for thought.

[Fatemeh Nazari · Rating 4 out of 5]

«آسفالتی»ها از اون دست کتاب هایی بود که تو رو با دنیای جدیدی آشنا می‌کنه. دنیایی که تو زندگیمون خیلی کم بهش فکر می‌کنیم، دنیایِ بچه های خیابانی.
داستان از زبان یه دختر خیابانی نوجوانه که لقب «شایدی (Maybe)» به خودش داده و ما در طول داستان باهاش همراه می‌شیم و با دوستاش که اونا هم تو خیابون زندگی می‌کنن آشنا می‌شیم.
خوش خوانه و اگه کسی وقت بذاره یکی دو روزه تموم میشه.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of homeless teens band together to help each other survive on the streets of New York. The narrator, Maybe, left her abusive mother and feels that the street--dirty , cold, and brutal as it is--is the only place for a girl like her, a girl no one loves.

Maggot says that living on the streets is the only way to maintain your freedom. Country Club is the first of the group to leave. He dies of liver failure at 22. OG has a constant, hacking cough, but refuses to seek medical attention. He adopts an abandoned dog (Pest)after Country Club's death. 2Moro is beautiful and HIV-positive. Prostitution helps her survive, but for how long? Jewel is a male prostitute who dresses up as a woman and goes clubbing with 2Moro. Rainbow, Maybe's closest friend, does drugs to keep herself numb. Tears is only 12 and is the newest member of the group.

As bad as life on the streets can be, they all agree that it is better than the lives they left behind. As Maybe watches her friends disappear one by one, she wonders if there might be another life for her.

A powerful and realistic glimpse into street life.

[Lulu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read this book for Literacy and basically, it sucked. One to many people die and since it is about homeless kids, it is a little disturbing.

[Nicole Lavender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a heartbreaking and unfortunately very realistic depiction of homelessness as a teenager. A quick read that’s hard to put down because the characters are so likable.

[Mahbod_Book Love · Rating 4 out of 5]

پرده ها کنار خواهند رفت/همان طور که ماه از پشت ابر بیرون می آید.
تا آخر نمیتوان جلوی واقعیت هارا گرفت.
به نظر من آقای تاد لحن گرمی برای بیان داستان دارد/استفاده از واژه های خیابانی و در کل پیوستگی داستانی.
گرایش های غیر انسانی بعضی ازآدم ها را یه تصویر میکشید.
در این میان شاید کمتر از انگشتان دست نیز انسان هایی در این رمان حضور داشته باشند.

[JuLie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es handelt sich bei diesem Buch um eine rührende und zugleich schockierende Geschichte, die einen nicht kalt lässt. Dennoch fand ich, dass es einige Kapitel braucht, bevor ein roter Faden zu finden ist. Zu Beginn scheint es, als seien mehrere Geschichten einfach aneinandergereiht.

[Fateme H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

از اون کتابایی بود که تصوراتت رو کلا عوض می کنن. چیزی دقیقا بر خلاف چیزی که من یا امثال من، از زندگی تو نیویورک انتظار داریم.
گرچه من شخصیت پردازی کتاب رو زیاد نپسندیدم و به نظرم کمی ضعیف بود.

[nAeEMak نعیمک]

هنوز و هنوز و هنوز و هنوز نمی‌فهمم چرا ادبیات نوجوان (و جوان) این قدر تلخ شد. هر بار که کتاب‌های این شکلی می‌خوانم که در ایران هم زیاد چاپ می‌شوند یاد کتاب‌ها و فیلم‌های دهه شصت یا به قول خودم «کانونی» می‌افتم. پر از بدبختی و بیچارگی. یک تصویر عریان از زندگی واقعی. انگار اگر این قدر تلخ بنویسی کافی است و می‌توانی یک نویسندۀ خوب باشی. هنوز هم نمی‌فهمم که چرا این قدر زیاد است و فکر می‌کنم از آن بخش روشنفکرانه ادبیات می‌آید که ادبیات باید «حرفی برای گفتن داشته باشد» یا وقتی کتابی می‌خوانیم چیزی یاد بگیریم و اصطلاحاً این کتاب‌ها «سطحی» نیستند. از طرفی خوشحالم که اینترنت باعث شده ژانرهای دیگر هم بیایند رو و حرف‌هایی از ژانرهای دیگر هم باشد. اما خود کتاب:
داستان چندتا گدای نوجوان در یک زمستان تلخ در امریکا است که اتفاقاً بیشترشان هم دختر هستند. می‌گویم بیشتر چون من هنوز که هنوزه از روی اسم نمی‌فهمم شخصیتی دختر است یا پسر و اینجا هم کلی پیچ‌وتاب خوردم. قصه خیلی تلخ است و مهم‌ترین دلیلش این است که من هم هر روز این نوجوان‌ها را می‌بینیم. وقتی در خود مترو کتاب را می‌خواندم و نوجوان‌هایی می‌آمدند بالای سر من که دستمال یا چیز دیگری بفروشند و محل‌شان نمی‌گذاشتم.
بلاهایی که سرشان می‌آید و اینکه چطوری روزها را سر می‌کنند خیلی خوب روایت شده. مخصوصاً سواستفاده‌هایی که ازشان می‌شود. به زبان بهتر نشان می‌دهد که چطوری از نوجوانی که می‌شناسیم تبدیل می‌شوند به آدم‌های خیابانی. همین تلخی و بی‌پردگی است که ما را جلوتر می‌برد. کتاب کمی تلاش دارد که آه‌وسوز را به خاطر قصه زیاد کند و یک جاهایی تو چشم است و تو ذوق می‌زند اما نهایتاً دارد مدام به ما یادآور می‌شود که چنین چیزی هست. مگر نمی‌دانیم؟ می‌دانیم اما عادی شدن باعث می‌شود که یادمان برود.
پایان کتاب به خوبی‌وخوشی تمام می‌شود. البته خوبی‌وخوشی و با خودم گفتم: «ای کاش می‌شد به همین سادگی باشد و واقعاً می‌شد این روند جایی متوقف شود.» کتاب تلاش دارد به این سوال هم جواب بدهد که «چرا این آدم‌ها در خیابان هستند؟» خب، یکی از دلایل خانواده است. یعنی خانواده‌ای که به هر دلیلی مشکلی دارند و باعث می‌شود که نوجوان زندگی در خیابان را ترجیح بده. تصویر پلیس و جاهایی که برای کمک به نوجوان شکل می‌گیرند هم در کتاب هست و اینکه نشان می‌دهد به خاطر عدم شناخت دقیق خیلی هم کارشان جواب نمی‌دهد و کمک‌رسان نیست.

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Janie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. It was interesting because it was one of the first books about life on the streets as narrated by a girl. Not that it's really obvious, however, it was different. Much of the book was comprised of "I'm hungry and cold because I don't have food and it's cold". Strasser is very good at packing a punch with all of his books about difficult issues (school shootings, street life), and I think the most influential part was the reports about the death of several street kids that the main character knew (her street name is Maybe).
The one thing that irritated me was how long it took Maybe to figure out that a warm bed and food was better than being "hungry and cold" as she complains about daily. But I'm not a street kid. I never was a street kid. I am, what they all would call, "a high ended middle class person who gets everything" et cetera. Yeah, this book made me a sense of survivor’s guilt somehow, like how come they get nothing and I get everything? Well, then comes the realization. What would I have done about her if I came across her? Take her home? The mistrust that all the street kids have with everyone NOT in their little tribe (their word) was certainly justified, as they spent most of their lives building it up in order to survive, however, they refuse shelter because of "rules that would take away their freedom" like curfews? Right. Freedom to do what? Be hungry and cold? I mean, she realizes it in the end, after all of her buddies are dead but why not before?
Again, I really shouldn't judge. I've been fortunate enough never to have to deal with that sort of situation. I'm sure there may have been several reasons. Pride, need for independence (meaning like, "my mom sucked, so I don't need her. I don't need anyone! I'll show her." sort of thing), and maybe even slight commitment to the tribe. Plus, as said before, the blatant mistrust of any "non-street kid". This book was fine. and I love a *semi*-happy ending.

[Chase H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living on the street with six other homeless teens it not a good way to grow up. The main character lives on very minimal resources and has had very little schooling or discipline. The main character has a rare skin condition where her skin is unevenly pigmented and has patches of darker and lighter skin all over her body. She was kicked out of her house by an abusive mother that only wanted her if she could provide drugs or alcohol. She lives on the street with 2Moro, Rainbow, Tears, OG, Jewels, and Maggot. OG is in his early twenties and early out in the book one of his close friend Country Club dies and to fill the lost void he adopts a stray puppy named Pest.
“Here is where you are. There is where you want to be. But you can't get there from here.” (Harrison Blanchard aka OG) I really enjoy how graphic Todd Strasser is with what it is really like being homeless. He deeply describes the feeling and condition the characters experience. This book shows the reader how badly the teens get treated by people and how most people are scared of them and make a big detour to pass them, as if they will jump them and take their belongings. The teens do steal and don't follow by any rules or regulations. The teens back stories are very sad because they were either kicked out of the house by and abusive drunk or high parent, or they ran away because they could not take the stress either at home or at school.
I enjoy Todd Strasser writing style because it is very descriptive and has lots of dialogue. I recommend this book to someone ages 12 and above because they're are some parts that are a little too old for someone any younger because there is . I think that this book is not only for kids but an adult could enjoy this just as much as a younger reader.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can't get anywhere from here was a great book! It was about this girl who lived on the streets of New York City because she has no one to go to. She has no family left. She found a couple of street kids and they kind of just stuck together. They all are not friends but just other street kids who stick together so they do not die or make a bad decision. A new kid would join their group every month or so and they got food together, and they survived together. Or tried to anyway. But towards the end of the book most of the kids ended up dieing or getting sent back to their homes they ran away from. One girl went with an old guy to get out of the cold and to get something to eat and in exchange for that she slept with him. Another girl went to a youth living center and stayed there. A boy had his parents show up out of no where and beg him to get in the car and come home with them. Another boy couldn't handle living on the street so he started going crazy. He would sit and talk to himself and tell stories of things that were not true and things that could never happen. She ended up being the last kid left out of their little group. The only one who made something out of her life before the streets got the best of her. She went to a youth housing facility and is trying to make a new life for herself. One thing I really like about this book is how this is happening to real people right now. I am not saying that it is good that people are out on the streets dieing. I am saying that it is good that there are people out there who care enough to help. There are less and less good people in the world everyday. It makes me feel better that there are people that truly care about making peoples lives better.

[Amy Snyder · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband gave me this book as a recommendation from one of his students. I can understand why she would have thought it was a good book. The topic of teen homelessness is very relevant, and from a young-peron's perspective, I can see how it might touch them. But the characters themselves were flat, and many were unlikeable, especially Maggot. Here is a young man who comes from a wealthy family who loves him, but because he chooses not to conform to society's rules, he chosses to live on the street. Then he complains about it, talks about how no one cares for street kids, and begs on the street. If you choose to live this way, fine, but don't ask people for anything or to feel sorry for you. The character's or Rainbow and 2Moro were never really developed, so it was not terribly sad to lose them. What was effective, though, was the way in which the reader found out about their deaths. When I would turn the page and see the "obituary" writing, I knew Maybe had lost someone else, and each time, it took me by surprise. The hardest one for me to lose was Pest, as he did not ask for the situation he was in and the poor little dog had no way out of it. The character I liked the most was Anthony who worked in the library. For me, he was the most convincing and believable as I am sure there are people out there who are kind and willing to give of themselves to help others. I am not sure by the end of the book that Maybe is totally convinced about going to the Youth Shelter, but after bringing Tears back to her grandmother, there is that possibility. All in all, the story was okay, but the writing itself was substandard.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book talks about how is life on the streets and you see this group of people that are on the streets for different reasons (Got kicked out, escaped or simply they were tired of doing the same thing everyday forever).
The main character is Maybe, he got kicked out of his house because his mother had 3 other kids and Maybe was the oldest one so he had to leave. Maybe suffers and sees how the gang tears apart, since 2Moro, Rainbow and Country Club die, Maggot and Jewel go home, OG is about to die in a hospital and his friend Tears is missing. He's left alone and lost without knowing what to do. He's friends with a librarian named Anthony who helps him find Tears. Anthony looks on the internet about Tears grandparents and he finds them. Maybe and Anthony look for Tears to take her back home. They find her about to enter a club with a grown man (Tears is 12). They take her back home and she's happy ever after.
The book ends with Anthony and Maybe on the beach watching the Ocean.





I really liked this book, I like how they have different problems but also different personalities. But every book I read has an ending that leaves you hanging. In this case we don't know what's gonna happen to Maybe, is he gonna live with Anthony? is he going to the homeless project? is he gonna die? We don't know. But the main point makes this book realy good.

[Kara Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Can't Get There From Here, Strasser tells the tale of a homeless girl named Maybe who lives in New York City. Her life is full of abuse, mistrust, and sadness, but she finds a way to persevere through all the pain. Maybe considers herself a part of a "tribe" (others who are homeless with her). In this tribe, the members try to look out for one another and act as a makeshift family. Unfortunately almost all of the characters have a sad ending: "They were gone. Tears, Rainbow, Maggot, Jewel, 2Moro, OG, Pest, and Country Club. Two to homes where people loved them, two to hospitals or the nut house, and four to unmarked graves in places where no one would ever find them" (193).

Strasser writes clearly with a purpose here: do not give up and let yourself live on the streets. He plays well into the hands of adolescents as most of the adult characters seem to take advantage of the tribe. However, there are a few adult characters that show teens that not everyone is out to get them; in fact, people have the tendency to be much nicer than one would expect.

Overall, a good read for young adolescents. However, as an adult reading it, I felt the characters were not as believable as they could have been and the ending didn't seem realistic.

[Angeluismanzueta · Rating 5 out of 5]

this amazing book is about a group of homeless teenagers known as the asphalt tribe. and they have ran away from their personal and other situtations and came to liv on the streets of nyc. they survive by dealing drugs, washing windshields, and being prostitutes. most of the kids in the tribe have ran away b/c of they're mothers, and drugs. they do whatever it takes to survive the cold winter in nyc.
i can connect this to the world b/c their are actually people in this world who are homeless even children. some probalbly for personal reasons or others b/c poorness.
i would give this great book 5 stars b/c it is very catchy and has a great plot that keeps the book moving and very connected to real life. the book strongly shows how the characters are affected, and seem to regret running away.

[7706cloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is amazing!!!
its about a girl named maybe who lives on the cold streets of NYC. she has a friend named Tears who is 12 years old. maybe figures out after a bunch of experiences that the streets are really not the place to be so she tries to help tears get home.
i loved this book because it was a happy-unperfect ending. it gave you a shock to what life on the streets is like and what innocent people are dealing with...
i would recommend this book to everyone but more likely to readers who enjoy suspenseful books and stories on kids who have to deal with tough things.

[Temoca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book I will add to a literature circle because it is a subject I think will hook kids. The story was a little repetitive giving a play by play of events in the live of homeless kids and then the ending just all worked out for everyone but the main character and we really don't know what happens to her.

Still, it's new and something that would get my kids talking and even parts they may relate to unfortunately.

[Ashley.taggart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The book was about the life of homeless teens living on the streets of New York. It is a realistic fiction story that made me think about the people that are homeless in our country and the struggles they go threw just to get food and to stay warm. I would say everyone should read this book because of how much it opens your eyes to the life of some people in our country that we just forget about.

[Leah Vener · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing book. No part of this book was boring. I liked how the main events were so developed and detailed it made you feel as if you were there with the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to read an eye opening story. I would rate this a 5 out of 5 because I could not put this book down.

[Merle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wie seine anderen Bücher auch finde ich das Morton Rhue einen echt guten Job macht die Thematuken gut rüberzubringen. Ich fand nur das Ende nicht allzu gut, da mir das ganze zu offen war und nach dem man so viel Zeit mit dem Hauptcharakter verbracht hat, ich mir ein endgültigen Abschluss gewünscht hätte. War aber denoch ein super Buch

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book Todd Strasser has this mind that just seems to captivate my interests. I loved living the life of the streets in New York.

[Syd · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my alltime favorite books I've ever read. i loved how REAL the story was, i read it in 1 day it was so good.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

27 January 2004 CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE by Todd Strasser, Simon & Schuster, April 2004, ISBN 0-689-84169-8

"Come says Jack let's knock him on the head
No says Guy let's buy him some bread"
--Maurice Sendak, WE ARE ALL IN THE DUMPS WITH JACK AND GUY (1993)

" 'I'm so gross! I'm disgusting! I can't stand it!' Rainbow laughed crazily as she pulled me down the sidewalk about a block from Canal Street.
" 'You look beautiful to me,' I said.
" 'Oh, Maybe, what would you know? You're even smellier and dirtier than me.'
" 'I am?' Even though I knew that all of us street kids were dirty and smelly, it still made me feel bad to hear Rainbow say it. That wasn't the way I wanted her to think of me.
" 'Aw, look, I hurt your feelings.' Rainbow stuck out her lower lip and pouted. 'I'm sorry, Maybe. But I'm dirty and smelly, too. We're the dirty and smelly twins!' She hooked her arm through mine and started to skip. I tried to keep up with her. It made me happy when she wanted to be with me. Then she let go and did a cartwheel right in the middle of the sidewalk. The regular people looked at her like she was psycho."

Each of them has some real or imagined story about how they got there. But here they are: a small tribe of street urchins hostage to the natural and human elements of a winter on the streets in Manhattan. The story is told by Maybe, a girl with a highly visible skin condition, vitiligo, who has been here since last summer.

" 'Exposure,' Officer Johnson said over his shoulder without stopping.
" 'To what?' I asked.
" 'To the cold,' Officer Johnson said as he pulled open the car door. 'To drugs, drink, disease, and hunger. Basically to life on the street. If you kids had any sense, you'd go home.'
" 'What if you don't have a home to go to?' Maggot asked.
" 'You've got no parents, brothers, sisters. aunts, uncles, relatives?' asked Officer Ryan.
" 'You think I'd be living like this if I did?' Maggot said."

I rode the school bus on field trips to Manhattan. By high school, the teacher would let us loose for a couple of hours after we'd taken the compulsory tour of the museum du jour. Thirty years later I can still recall that sample of being a kid off alone on a frigid winter day with slate gray skies beyond towering granite buildings and fierce winds ripping west to east down the streets, whipping up grit and garbage and probing its way inside my clothes.

"There's a thousand shades of white
and a thousand shades of black
But the same rule always applies
Smile pretty, and watch your back"
--Ani "Every State Line"

CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE provides a vivid portrait of being there all the time, on your own, on the street, in the filth of alleys and doorways, with the nightly fear of being preyed on and the daily tasks of survival.

"Cold wind ripping
down the alley at dawn
And the morning paper flies,
Dead man lying
by the side of the road
With the daylight in his eyes."
--Neil Young "Don't Let It Bring You Down"

As you could imagine this is an unforgiving environment where twenty-somethings are perceived as old and worn out and there are plenty of kids who don't make it:

"Country Club was lying in Piss Alley next to a Christmas tree someone had thrown out a window of the apartment building next door. The Christmas tree was lying on its side; Country Club lay on his back. His eyes were open. Glassy and dull. Like he was staring straight up to heaven. Sometimes on sunny days Country Club's eyes looked green. But on this cold gloomy day his eyes were as gray as the clouds overhead.
"Under a film of dirt Country Club's skin was pasty and almost green. He had a wispy light brown beard, thin so you could see through it to his jaw and chin. On his left cheekbone was a long, crusty brown scab. On his right cheek was a small black tattoo of a spider's web. His long, tangled brown hair was spread out on the ground, mixed in with the torn papers and candy wrappers and bent straws that littered the alley. Bits of paper and dirt and a single strand of silver Christmas tinsel clung to his beard. His arms were spread out. One hand turned up, the other turned down. His hips were twisted sideways, his legs bent at the knees like he was running.
"But he wasn't going nowhere."

Yet every time CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE threatens to totally veer toward the hopeless and morbid, we are reminded that these are kids. Real kids. Silly kids. Sensitive kids. Stubborn kids. Questioning kids:

" 'Are you serious?' the man asked, nodding at Maggot's 'Money for Maryjuana' sign.
" 'Why not?' Maggot answered. 'If the sign said, "Money for Food," would you believe it? Least I'm honest.'
" 'At least you ought to spell it right,' said the woman.
"Maggot turned the sign around and looked at it. 'I spelled "money" wrong?'
"The man smiled. 'He's got a sense of humor.'
" 'Not for long if I don't score some pot,' Maggot warned them."

A quick online search finds estimates from a few years ago of 12,000-20,000 homeless youth in New York City. Nearly two-thirds are black or Latino. A disproportionate share are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, because adolescents in those groups are routinely jettisoned by their families and are frequently unwelcome in their schools or in foster homes. Many homeless teens are children of the victims of the mid-1980s crack epidemic. A study found one-third of those street kids surveyed engaged in prostitution in order to obtain money. There is a high expectation among street kids that they will contract AIDS.

"Hang on to your hopes, my friend.
That's an easy thing to say,
But if your hopes should pass away
Simply pretend that you can build them again."
--Simon & Garfunkel "Hazy Shade of Winter"

CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE is one of those books to grab me by the throat and slam me against the wall. Like Spaz from Rodman Philbrick's THE LAST BOOK IN THE UNIVERSE, Maybe's "defect" is her savior. That highly visible skin condition ironically leaves her as a less visible target than 2Moro, Rainbow, Tears, Jewel and so many other kids in her position, thus allowing her to be the perfect observer and narrator for the story.

Homeless teens have no voice, no vote, few choices, and zero power. By melding remnants of childhood joy and innocence with the bitter bleakness of life and death in filthy alleys and dumpsters, Todd Strasser has written a story that will be the root of nightmares, prolonged discussions and, hopefully, change.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...

[Kita Ookami · Rating 5 out of 5]

(((Please be patient with grammar and spelling I am Autistic )))

Another tear-jerker that most troubled teens can relate to. I used to whisper the phrase, 'can't get there from here', when I was trapped in my hell of a life. That phrase of course changed just like Maybe's did. Everything about this book makes you grateful and gives you the street view that many unfortunate teens find themselves in. Many not even by choice, but by desperation. God, each chapter that started with the death of one of the kids got me bawling. To imagine how much they suffered and they never deserved any of it. The emotion of misery living on the streets is written perfectly and not a detail is skipped. I felt like I was back in my tent with my siblings, shivering away winter while our parents hid us and went god knew where. Maybe and the others portrayed everything and didn't glorify the notion that running away is the answer. For some, it may be the only choice and yes help is hard to find, but it is out there for young children who need it. I just hope that they all find it and never end up like the characters in this captivating story.

[Negin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome read that takes you upon a sad yet thought-provoking journey, delving into the concepts of social structure, family, meaningful bonds and sense of belonging all through the eyes of a so-called 15-year-old, unruly outcast.
This book offers A perspective less willingly taken.
What do we look like to a "dysfunctional teenager"? One that we think of as no good and damaging to our precious rituals.
How often do we stop in our track and actually listen instead of giving a lecture to teens?
More importantly, what's the right approach that those with good intentions yet mis-guided mindsets could have in order to actually make a difference?
These vulnerable, brave, witty and untrusting characters might have taught me a thing or two both about my life and others.
You might not get there, but you definitely don't have to stay here.

[123abc · Rating 4 out of 5]

a quick read about (brutal) life as homeless teens in New York - ultimately really sad but also enjoyed the book - definitely not a topic I know much about, nor is talked about much. (&, in the end, librarians ftw)