Still, readers will be drawn to Holly as she shifts between her search for a safe place to live, her anger at the foster care system and her reflections on the circumstances that led up to her mother's overdose. Kirkus Reviews Holly’s lively self lingers in the way the best characters do. 1998 Other Books in This Series Sammy Keyes and the Curse of Moustache Mary. Runaway is a remarkably uplifting portrait of a girl still young and stubborn and naive enough to believe there’s a better place for her in the world. Van Draanen's (the Sammy Keyes series) portrayal of Holly's situation is gravely realistic, though some of Holly's entries seem too perfectly written for a poorly educated 12-year-old. More Books by Wendelin Van Draanen Flipped.

Holly's diary entries, which include poetry, unspool as ongoing conversations with Ms. Author Wendelin Van Draanen, a former teacher, clearly knows kids this age well and actually spent time sleeping outdoors, stowing away in a bus, and exploring a shelter to have a taste of the homeless experience - her research is evident in the book's careful details. Sammie introduces Holly to two women (mother and daughter) who eventually become the family Holly has been longing for. Constantly moving from place to place, Holly is caught off guard when Sammie, from the soup kitchen, offers help. Evans, Holly runs away, eventually making her way to California. Leone, who gives Holly the journal ('It'll help you turn the page'). Evans accuse her of lying, stealing and drug use, then, as punishment, lock Holly in the laundry room for days. Knopf, 15.

Holly has already thwarted the sexual advances of one foster father and now, living with the Evans, things aren't any better. She is smart and resourceful, and she manages to make it across the country on her own. Hollys run away before, but this time she actually gets awayand what felt like an escape at first soon becomes a daily struggle for survival.

Through her journal entries, 12-year-old Holly Janquell reveals her experiences living in foster homes since her mother died of a drug overdose two years ago. This diary of a runaway girl and her search for a home celebrates hope, resilience, and happy endings.

Runaway book wendelin van draanen