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Description
When Ally’s mom dies, Ally is left with no family, no friends and no future.
Put into foster care at the age of fifteen, she has less than $200 to her name and nothing left to lose. When Ally meets Tate, a busking fire breather, she starts to see a new life for herself as a street performer. Ally decides to run away from her foster home, but her problems follow her. Hiding her age, sleeping on the streets and avoiding fights with other buskers, Ally discovers that there’s more to life as a fire-breathing busker than not getting burned.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Contributor Notes
Sarah Yi-Mei Tsiang is the author of the poetry collections Sweet Devilry (winner of the Gerald Lampert Award) and Status Update. She is also the author of four children’s books and the editor of Desperately Seeking Susans. Sarah’s work has been published and translated internationally and named to the OLA Best Bets for Children 2010, Best Books for Kids and Teens 2011 and 2012 and the Toronto Public Library’s First and Best Books List (2012). She can hardly light a match without burning herself.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age:
- 12 to 18
- Grade:
- 8 to 12
- Reading age:
- 12 to 18
Awards
- Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
Editorial Reviews
"Tsiang's plot is fast and fun. These quick and easy readers are especially designed to promote literacy...Tsiang accomplishes her goal of making reading enjoyable with her original characters, her believable story and her interesting dialogue."
— TriState Young Adult Book Review
"Tsiang’s protagonist crackles with personality, and readers will be rooting for Ally as she juggles, flips, and breathes fire to come into her own."
— Publishers Weekly
"The message of following your passion in times of difficulty was well captured and delivered."
— Resource Links
"The fast-paced plot...will appeal to reluctant teen readers with short attention spans. The author deals with such sensitive subject matter as addiction, death, sex, and poverty from a relatable, first-person perspective. Recommended."
— CM: Canadian Review of Materials
