Brooklyn Burning
Publisher
Carolrhoda Books
Publication Year
2011
ISBN
9780761375265
Pages
202 pages
Genre
realism
Format
novel
Item Type
Fiction
Annotation
When you're sixteen and no one understands who you are, sometimes the only choice left is to run. If you're lucky, you find a place that accepts you, no questions asked. And if you're really lucky, that place has a drum set, a place to practice, and a place to sleep. For Kid, the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are that place. Over the course of two scorching summers, Kid falls hopelessly in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond the sunset.
Grade Level
9-12
Lexile Measure
760L
Diversity Topics
Family Relationships; LGBTQ (Gender and Sexuality); Homelessness; Androgyny; homeless teenager; gender identity; gender fluid; feminine characteristics; androgynous fashion
Main Character
genderqueer teenager
Race/Ethnicities
White
Family Formation
estranged from mother and father
LGBTQ+
androgynous person
Awards
Cybils Awards, 2011, Nominee, Fiction Young Adult
Kirkus Best Young Adult Books, 2011
Kirkus Book Review Stars, 2011
Rainbow List, 2012 Young Adult Fiction
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2012
Moonbeam Children's Book Award, 2011, Silver, Young Adult Fiction (Mature Issues)
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards, 2012, Honor, Language Arts 7-12 Novels
Keywords
music; drums; absent father; drug and alcohol use; kicked out; Brooklyn; New York; warehouse fire; summer
Diversity Impact
direct
STARS Citation
Brezenoff, Steve, "Brooklyn Burning" (2011). Diverse Families. 1504.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/diversefamilies/1504