What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

I'm looking for fiction about kids/young adults who live in hiding without adults around. An excellent example is Nickel Plated about a 12 year old PI hiding from the foster system. GREAT book. Another example would be Where the Heart Is. I'm looking for something that adults enjoy too; nothing silly or ridiculous. Nickel Plated is awesome, the 12 yo PI is smarter than most adults, very streetwise. The other is about a pregnant girl who hides out living in a Walmart. (Later made into a movie).
These type of books are great reads to me - do any of you know of any other 'stealth kids' that outsmart the system and live without adults, or for free, or on their own?
THANKS!
Jool

I don't know any more modern ones, but here's a couple of classic older examples:
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Incident at Hawk's Hill by by Allan W. Eckert

I remember liking the first one very much as a kid, although that was plenty long ago. They might not be quite what you're after though, they're less about outwitting adults and the system and more about surviving entirely alone.

Thank you Krazykiwi for the suggestions! I have ordered the first one - it looks interesting. The other one looks geared to a much younger reader. I do like the survival books; but also hope to find urban survival scenarios as well.
Jool

Something like Hatchet or How I Live Now? Or maybe Rooftoppers or From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler? (The last two are urban, but middle-grade-aimed)

Wow, thanks! I am looking through these - will definitely put Rooftoppers on my to-read list. I like the description of "urchins who live in the hidden spaces"... Likewise, How I live now looks interesting, and will also be to-read. And while Mixed-up files looks to be directed to the younger set, I may just enjoy that one as well - kids living in the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the sly? How can I pass that up?
:-) Thank you, thank you!
Jool

Slake's Limbo: 121 Days is an oldie, but really memorable. Slake lives in the NYC subway system on his own.

Hillary, thanks, this is exactly the type thing I am looking for!
Jool

If living parentless and homeless works, in the traditional sense, then try Magic Street. The kid, Mack Street, is found abandoned and essentially raised by the entire neighborhood. It is urban fantasy, and pretty good. He isn't alone though as he lives in hidden urban spaces, though in this case you have to figure out which of them are magical. Might not be right on point for the question.

Hillary, this one looks intriguing also. Yes, you described perfectly the genre I'm searching: urban fanatasy, homeless young person. (fiction, preferably).

Thanks everyone! I'm getting great suggestions here.

This one is a true story, and is pretty good Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard. It's quite a story about how surviving through a lot of stuff and succeeding in the end. The movie Homeless to Harvard is based on it. I'm not usually into nonfiction, but I liked this one.

There's Tom Finder, Runaway, both about runaway kids

Not quite what you're looking for, but you may like Dirty Little Secrets

Great choices, Shanna! I have read 'Homeless to Harvard' (amazing true story!!). I also read Dirty Little Secrets, which I loved - it addresses how a parents' hoarding problem isolates their kids. It was a great read also.
Tom Finder sounds very good! I have placed it on order (it is out of stock right now). Thanks!

Charlene Joy Talbot's Tomás Takes Charge for another oldie.

Maybe The Lion's Paw - Robb White?

Thanks for these two suggestions, BookWoman. I remember reading Tomas Takes Charge a long time ago!

The On the Run series beginning with Chasing The Falconers by Gordon Korman fits your criteria. A 15-year-old and his 11-year-old sister are on the run across the country trying to track down a man that the FBI couldn't find - a man who could prove their parents' innocence and get them out of prison. It's a 6-book series, about 100 pages each, but it reads like a single story. The tension doesn't let up between books.

Also Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt.

If you're interested in historical fiction, Seven Alone and The Christmas Doll are two more I enjoy. However, I don't think they deal much with hiding. More like kids on their own because people didn't care too much about it at those times in history.

I'm afraid I can't recommend the one I wrote, since it's still in the waiting-for-the-publisher's-response stage. :) And it isn't urban, either. It's decidedly rural, but not remote, and set in modern times.

I'm going to check out all of these Rebekah - thanks so much! And by all means let me know when your book is published - it sounds like one I would really enjoy!

Ohhhh. Homecoming! How could I have forgotten that one. It's so lovely, Jool, and probably exactly what you are looking for: Sometimes it includes an in-detail narration of what the four kids ate on a day.

You're so right - this is exactly the type of book I am looking for. Definitely getting it!

Also, the good thing about Homecoming is it seems to be a series!

Yes, but from the second volume on the kids do not live on their own anymore. And some of the volumes focus on other kids in their later neighborhood.

Bill, Evasion sounds interesting, thanks!

Have you watched the japanese movie "Nobody Knows"?

No - then I looked it up and read the plot and it sounds stunning!! I will look to see if it is on Netflix. Wow, thanks!

You might try:

The Beggars' Ride by Theresa Nelson. Very urban, although a bit dated. I did read it when I was about twelve, and I remember thinking that her reasons for running away were meh, until they were fully revealed, when they made perfect sense.

Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey is a wonderful epistolary novel, less about out-and-out homelessness than an abandoned girl and her brother trying to stay in their home and keep people from finding out about their situation.

The Graveyard Book This one is probably more fantasy-oriented than what you're after, but I wanted to throw something a little more recent in. The boy, Nobody Owens, is orphaned and being raised by the ghosts at a local cemetery.

Great suggestions! In looking up these books on Amazon, I found that I have The Graveyard Book (by my favorite author, Neil Gaiman) on my kindle! I just haven't gotten to it yet (I have tons of books already downloaded to kindle).
Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey I immediately purchased just now and put on my kindle. Looks very intriguing.
The Beggars' Ride had some great reviews also - I see there are collectors' copies for $48 on Amazon!! EEK! However, I found a used paperback copy which I have purchased. Thanks for some sound suggestions!
Julie

I adored this one as a kid The Prince of Central Park.

Thanks! I'll look that one up too.
I remember when I was a kid (I mean a LONG time ago) there was a book I adored called Island of the Blue Dolphins. It was first published in 1961 but would still be great today, I'm sure. A native girl is stranded on an island and lives by herself for years. :-)

I liked Maniac Magee when I was younger.

An orphaned kid runs away from his aunt & uncle to a small town and becomes a folk hero for all the kids in the area. It also deals with racial issues in the town.

Awesome, Melanti! I am getting so many great suggestions!

Island of the Blue Dolphins was a great favorite of mine, too.

Hatchet is similar in theme, if you have somehow not read that one. Boy vs. Wild.

Valiant

Thanks! What an intriguing series (Valiant is book 2) by Holly Black!!!

I automatically thought of The Boxcar Children series. While they're not silly, they they are written for children, so I'm not sure if they fit in with your requirements.

Nyssa, I did look into that series. Good series, but I am looking for something a bit more 'grown-up'. :-) Thanks!

Jool wrote: "Nyssa, I did look into that series. Good series, but I am looking for something a bit more 'grown-up'. :-) Thanks!"

Understandable. :) No Problem.

I don't know how available they are, but I read some really good ones by Monica Dickens when I was a kid. The kids are supposed to be taken care of by their uncle, but they live on their own in a house with lots of animals they've collected. The House at World's End. It's a series of 4 books.

Thanks Shanna, I'll look into these!

I just finished this book A Wild Thing based on the fact that it popped up as a forgotten book title in this group several times. It's about a young runaway living on her own in a cave in Scotland and I would recommend it highly, especially if you liked Island of the Blue Dolphins.

This book looks awesome Diana! I looked it up on Amazon for possible purchase. It shows published in 1972. I found a used mass market paperback for $8.00. A NEW paperback - $268.00!! and hardcovers - new - $368.00 ! This makes me more determined than ever to get this book (I mean thel $8.00 variety) LOL. It sounds great.

Into the Forest
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane

Jool, I got it from my library, which had to borrow it from a university library. It's definitely worth the $8 if you can't get it that way!

Rebekah wrote: "The On the Run series beginning with Chasing The Falconers by Gordon Korman fits your criteria. A 15-year-old and his 11-year-old sister are on the run across the country..."

Oh, Homecoming is awesome. Right on point.

Scott these are GREAT! They are on my to-buy list now! Into the Forest is exactly what I had in mind, the loss of electricity, etc., in the not-too-distant future - and coping on one's own! (In this case, two sisters).
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane I saw several times as a movie starring Jodie Foster. Again, exactly what I had in mind! It never occurred to me to look for it in book form, which I will now do - I always like the book better than the movie.
Thanks so much for these great ideas.

Scott wrote: "Into the Forest
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane"

I agree, Hillary - I want to read all of those recommended by Rebekah.

The Outsiders

Jool wrote: "Scott these are GREAT! They are on my to-buy list now! Into the Forest is exactly what I had in mind, the loss of electricity, etc., in the not-too-distant future - and coping on one's..."

I hope you enjoy them. I loved Into the Forest. I've only seen the movie of Little Girl... but it was what immediately came to mind when I read your inquiry.

And might I say, that is a fine-looking dog you've got there!

Jesse, thanks for this incredible suggestion. I have put this on my 'to read' list - cannot believe the number of great reviews on Amazon - and it was written in 1967 !!

Thanks! :-) I have done Dobie rescue for 20 - 25 years now, and always have at least one super-special Dobie Soulmate.

Scott wrote: "Jool wrote: "Scott these are GREAT! They are on my to-buy list now! Into the Forest is exactly what I had in mind, the loss of electricity, etc., in the not-too-distant future - and co..."

You might enjoy this one.



It's free in Kindle version on Amazon.

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden is about a group of teenagers who goes out camping during a weekend and when they return a foreign nation (they never say who exactly) have occupied their home state. The books are about them living in the wilderness, trying to avoid being detected and starting their own guerilla warfare.