Van Draanen, Wendelin. Runaway

Van Draanen, Wendelin. Runaway. Knopf, 2006 [0-375-83522-9]
Holly is in foster care and has run away before. This time when she runs away, she takes a journal with her and begins to write of her adventure, addressing it all like a letter to the teacher who gave her the journal. This 250 page book depicts the harsh way of life for a runaway and homeless people in our country. It is not a happy run away book, but rather on a lone teen trying to survive in the real world all alone by not trusting anyone. The only thing that concerned me about the book was the journal thing. Would someone with so many troubles take the time to keep up with the journal? Who knows? Maybe this would not bother student readers.