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The Way It Works

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Walter Davis is young, handsome, intelligent, dynamic, personable and homeless.

The product of a bi-racial marriage but abandoned by his father as a young child, he prides himself on three things: his drive to succeed, his fine clothes and never having been late for anything in his life. Walter is also homeless. The medical expenses that came with his mother's brief and unsuccessful battle against cancer have left him destitute. Still, ever the optimist, Walter believes that if he lives in his car for a few months, he will have the time he needs to find a good job in the business world and turn his life around. His situation gets more complicated when he finds himself attracted to a girl he meets at the mailing center where he keeps a post box. But trying to impress a girl when you have no fixed address proves difficult, and when he's caught in a lie, she shuns his company. Walter's struggles grow when his car is impounded and he can't afford to pay the fine. Only resilience, ingenuity and his drive to succeed can bring Walter back from the brink of despair.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for older teen readers and adults who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

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  • Reviews

    • School Library Journal

      February 1, 2011

      Gr 8 Up-Walter Davis is an industrious young man who has become homeless through no fault of his own. As he struggles to regain his footing after his mother's debilitating illness and death, the story explores the plight of the unemployed and inexperienced trying to make a living in difficult economic times. Especially intriguing are the details about how Walter maintains some respectability while living out of his car, and how other characters respond when they learn that he is homeless. The plot wraps up a bit too neatly, and some may find the overall tone a tad simplistic. Still, reluctant readers will be drawn to the fast-moving story with its modern, urban setting and sympathetic, true-to-life hero.-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

      Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • Booklist

      October 15, 2010
      The Way It Works, one of the series strongest titles, follows 20-year-old Walter Davis from homeless job searcher to profitable small-business owner. With understated, sobering, and detailed realism, Kowalski shows how easily a person can lose everything, and the ingenuity and strength Davis summons to solve daily logistical problems, and fall in love, will hook readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:3.1
  • Lexile® Measure:390
  • Interest Level:9-12(UG)
  • Text Difficulty:0-2

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