Sorta Like a Rockstar by Matthew Quick
Amber Appleton is the Princess of Hope. She lives with her mom and her dog Bobby Big Boy in the back of the school bus her mom drives. Her mom won't eat anything. Her dad left. But Amber still has hope. And The Five. Ty, Ricky, Jared, Chad and Amber herself.
In fifth grade, Jared and Amber didn't move up to sixth grade. Jared had a bad stutter and Amber missed too much school. They were put in a class with Ty, the only colored kid in school, Ricky, who has autism, and Chad, whose body didn't grow so he was in a wheelchair. They had a "club" twice a week where they played board games. Jared lost his stutter, but the club didn't help with much aside from that. Well, that and forming The Five.
When they moved up to high school, one of the teachers, Mr. Franks, let them use his downstairs-no windows classroom. The boys played Halo 3 on the X-box while Amber wrote advertisements for the marketing club. The Five were always there before school and during lunch. Mr. Franks room is where they fit in.
On Wednesdays, Amber goes to the Methodist Retirement Home for the weekly battles of Hope v.s. Despair, Amber v.s. Joan of Old. Amber is the undefeated champion, bringing the old people hope and winning rounds by making Joan smile, but Joan is determined to win one round before she dies.
Amber also teaches English to Korean ladies, in the form of R+B music. The Korean Divas for Christ are "the best Korean soul singers in the world," as Amber says.
Private Jackson is another important person in Amber's life. For school, they were supposed to write a letter to a veteran from the Vietnam war. When Private Jackson didn't write back, Amber found out where he lives and now they sip green tea that tastes like grass and write haikus while their dogs play.
And Donna, of course, is very important in her life. Amber admires Donna so much. Donna is Ricky's mom. Every morning, Amber goes to Donna and Ricky's house and makes breakfast, especially omelets on Tuesdays, and borrows their shower (since the Hello Yellow school bus doesn't have one), and then Donna drives them to school. Amber never told them she's living on a school bus, but she thinks Donna might know.
Amber brings hope to so many people. But when something horrible happens to Amber's mom, can she keep the hope alive?
In fifth grade, Jared and Amber didn't move up to sixth grade. Jared had a bad stutter and Amber missed too much school. They were put in a class with Ty, the only colored kid in school, Ricky, who has autism, and Chad, whose body didn't grow so he was in a wheelchair. They had a "club" twice a week where they played board games. Jared lost his stutter, but the club didn't help with much aside from that. Well, that and forming The Five.
When they moved up to high school, one of the teachers, Mr. Franks, let them use his downstairs-no windows classroom. The boys played Halo 3 on the X-box while Amber wrote advertisements for the marketing club. The Five were always there before school and during lunch. Mr. Franks room is where they fit in.
On Wednesdays, Amber goes to the Methodist Retirement Home for the weekly battles of Hope v.s. Despair, Amber v.s. Joan of Old. Amber is the undefeated champion, bringing the old people hope and winning rounds by making Joan smile, but Joan is determined to win one round before she dies.
Amber also teaches English to Korean ladies, in the form of R+B music. The Korean Divas for Christ are "the best Korean soul singers in the world," as Amber says.
Private Jackson is another important person in Amber's life. For school, they were supposed to write a letter to a veteran from the Vietnam war. When Private Jackson didn't write back, Amber found out where he lives and now they sip green tea that tastes like grass and write haikus while their dogs play.
And Donna, of course, is very important in her life. Amber admires Donna so much. Donna is Ricky's mom. Every morning, Amber goes to Donna and Ricky's house and makes breakfast, especially omelets on Tuesdays, and borrows their shower (since the Hello Yellow school bus doesn't have one), and then Donna drives them to school. Amber never told them she's living on a school bus, but she thinks Donna might know.
Amber brings hope to so many people. But when something horrible happens to Amber's mom, can she keep the hope alive?
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