Keesha's House

by Helen Frost

Book Overview

An unforgettable narrative collage told in poems Keesha has found a safe place to live, and other kids gravitate to her house when they just can't make it on their own. They are Stephie - pregnant, trying to make the right decisions for herself and those she cares about; Jason - Stephie's boyfriend, torn between his responsibility to Stephie and the baby and the promise of a college basketball career; Dontay - in foster care while his parents are...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0374340641
• ISBN13: 9780374340643
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

How Teenagers REALLY Feel!

How is it that a middle aged woman can capture so well what we all go through as teenagers? Frost's charecters are absolutely spell-binding, particularly the titular Keesha, who has so much depth and so many layers, she could easily just walk off the page. When I read the book for the first time, I didn't realize that it was actually poetry. Well, obviously it's printed in verse, but Frost finds a unique and passionate voice for each charecter, each of whom speak through the sestina verses, and into our hearts. Each poem also translates very well into dramatic monolouges, which can leave an audience spellbound. I should know, I saw a version of this book as a play, and audiences left captivated by Frost's words. They weave a magical spell that not many other authors can write. Younger readers should check out Frost's "Spinning Through The Universe", which is similar, but focuses on the entire class of an elementary school teacher. As one who has been so deeply touched by Frost's understanding of the human condition (especially the teen's point of view), I applaud her!

Highly recommended!

Why do kids have to figure their own problems when someone should be there to help them? In the novel, Keesha's House, the author uses the characters as a version of kids that we see in our everyday life. This book, in my point of view, should be highly recommended because it deals with kids in our society today and their issues. It is good to know what is going on in this world with our kids. I think that this book is a must read. It made me stop and think about myself. I wondered how I would end up if my mother was never there for me. It really reminds me of the people that were there for me in addition to my mother. The best audience of this book would be teenagers, and also highly recommended for adults. If you have kids, it will give you a better understanding on what they want and their needs. This book gives an overview about what is happening in this world today with our sons, daughters, and also parents. It explains that with the struggle with our everyday life, you will always need someone there.

Honest and Relevant

Years ago, young Keesha ran away from home, from her verbally abusive, alcoholic father. Since then, she has found comfort in the home of a local resident, Joe, who had a large house and an even larger heart. Joe provided Keesha with a roof over her head and a fresh start in life. Now it's Keesha's turn to give back. As she meets young people in trouble, she invites them to Joe's house, so that they may have a chance to sort out life's problems. Though unconventional and not in line with the state's plans for runaways, Keesha's solution is helping many local teenagers, including Stephanie who is pregnant, Dontay, who is a runaway from foster care, and Harris, a young man whose family will not accept that he is gay. We eventually watch these characters meet and learn from each other. The tragic ending serves to remind us that there's not always a happy ending, but success comes from making the most of your life.Helen Frost has created a wise and thoughtful character in young Keesha; however, she's not perfect, which makes her more believable and more likeable. When Stephanie is accepted back into her parents' home despite her pregnancy, Keesha's comments reflect the jealousy you'd expect from a 14-year-old who always hoped that her own father would come looking for her. All poems in the book are written in sestinas and sonnets, and each contains multicultural references that will connect the readers to the characters and their environment. The situations are real and prevalent in society, and even though they're sometimes uncomfortable to talk about and read about, young readers from ages 15 on up will appreciate each character's candid, poetic narration.

A Little Bit of Everything...

In this poem, the lives of six troubled kids entwine. Wrapping around each other like the words to a song, or maybe more like a dance, their words work hard to make everything come out right. The fear of a teen pregnancy and it's consequences to both teens, foster care, DUI, being gay, an abusive stepfather, and the words Ms. Frost uses to convey everything are spare and concise and beautiful. Surely a Printz Award contender.

Richie's Picks: KEESHA'S HOUSE

my choice..........KATIE "I sleep in my sleeping bag in a roomwith a lock in the basement of the placeon Jackson Street. And I feel safe.If Keesha wants to talk to me, she knocksfirst, and if I want to let her in, I do.If I don't, I don't. It's my choice.There's not too much I really have a choiceabout. Mom would say I chose to leave my roomat home, but that's not something anyone would dowithout a real good reason. There's no placefor me there since she got married. Like, one time, I knockedher husband's trophy off his gun safe,and he twisted my arm--hard. I never feel safewhen he's around. I finally asked my mom to make a choice:him or me. She went, Oh, Katie, he'll be fine. Then she knockedon our wooden table. I blew up. I stormed out of the roomand started thinking hard. In the first place,I know he won't be fine. I didn't tell her what he tries to doto me when she works late. In a way, I want to, but even if I do,she won't believe me. She thinks we're safein that so-called nice neighborhood. Finally, Katie, a placeof our own. And since she took a vow, she thinks she has no choicebut to see her marriage through. No roomfor me, no vow to protect me if he comes knockingon my door late at night. He knocksand then walks in when I don't answer. Or even when I doanswer: Stay out! This is my roomand you can't come in! I could never be safethere, with him in the house. So, sure, I made a choice.I left home and found my way to this place,where I've been these past two weeks. And I found a placeto work, thirty hours a week. Today Mom knockedon the door here. She wanted to talk. I told her, You made your choice;I made mine. She wondered what she could doto get me to come home. But when I said, It's not safefor me as long as he's there, she left the room.My choice is to be safe.This room is dark and musty, but it's one placeI do know I can answer no when someone knocks."The use of those words over and over in a sestina--safe, knock, choice, room--I feel like I can really step into Katie's skin after reading the piece. Throughout this awesome verse novel we are able to step into the skin of a variety of kids--kids who all have problems that cause them to leave their "real" homes. What we find is that these young people are caring of each other and that they care about the future. You will like these kids. You'll like it at Keesha's house. In this next piece--a sonnet instead of a sestina--we are shown why all these young people have been able to go to a safe place and stay there for free: i know the value..........JOE "I know the value of a house like this.Old and solid, hardwood stairs and floor.But when I showed up at Aunt Annie's doorwhen I was twelve--bruised, scared, clenched fists--all I knew was: I could stay.As long as you need to, Joe, was what she kepton saying, right up till she died and leftthe house to me. So now that's what I saywhen kids show up and I know they can't askfor what they shouldn't have to ask for. They needmore than I can give