Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka

 

 "Hey, Kiddo"

    To begin, I'd like to say that I am glad books like this exist. 

The author, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, grew up mostly with his grandparents- Joe and Shirley. They took custody of him when he was only 3 or 4 years old, because his mother was an addict, and his father was completely absent. 

Jarrett's mother ended up in jail or rehab on and off, and he was not able to see his mother often after he was taken in by his grandparents. He did not really understand why until he was in third grade, and they explained the reality to him. Overall, his grandparents took very good care of Jarrett. They made sure he had shelter, food, and a good school to attend. He had aunts and uncles that were present in his life, and good friends. He always has a love of drawing, and his art takes him many places. The book is his life story, and it highlights the ups and the downs. He makes a beautiful point; that life can be terrible in so many ways- but it can also be so, so wonderful. 

Honestly, I related to this story on a very personal level. I too, grew up with a mother who was addicted to opiates, and she actually passed away from an overdose in February of this year. It was surreal to have this be the first book I read this summer, but it was also very healing. I wish that books like this were offered to me when I was younger. I often felt very alone and like I could not talk to anyone about the issues I had at home. I did not go to a counselor or tell my teachers what was happening. I was afraid to be judged, or pitied. I hope that with more awareness about the opioid epidemic, more support groups and resources for children will come about. I would have greatly benefitted from having someone to talk to when I was a teen.

Growing up is a rollercoaster of emotions and learning; and being the child of an addict creates a whole new complexity that is so hard to understand when you're young. The author captured these feelings that I, myself, have struggled to explain to others.

As for classroom use...

The novel does cover some tough topics, so it is best to reserve it for older students. I would suggest 7th grade and up, personally. I also would offer resources to students beforehand, and warn about triggering events and drawings. There are drawings of drug use, which could definitely be triggering. Additionally, I can see how this would be beneficial for counselors to keep in their office if they felt a student would benefit from reading it. I believe it could give a child hope that they will turn out okay, even if their circumstances at home are not ideal. 

It only required about 3 or 4 hours of my time to read the entire book. I also was very enveloped the entire time and had to force myself to finally go to sleep around 2 a.m. last night! 

All in all, I'd rank this a 5/5 for Y.A. literature. Especially if a student struggles with reading long passages!