Money Hungry by Sharon Flake
Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children, New York: 2001
ISBN: 1423103866

Plot Summary:
Thirteen-year-old Raspberry Hill is out to make as much money as she can, whether by selling food or pencils at school, cleaning old people's houses, or washing cars, she is not too proud for anything. And she doesn't spend a dime of it. She has hundreds hidden in cans around her bedroom in the projects. Fear of winding up back on the street with her mother is what drives Raspberry to hunger for money.
Raspberry's friend Ja'nae lives with her grandparents and is trying to get back together with her estranged mother. One day Ja'nae steals two hundred dollars from her grandfather to send to her mother and writes about it in her diary. Her grandfather reads her diary and mistakenly thinks Raspberry is the one who stole his money, and promptly calls Raspberry's mother. In a fit of rage, her mother throws all of Rasperry's money out the window, effectively advertising all they have. When neighborhood thugs rob them the next day, the Hills are back on the street. Things start to look up when Raspberry and her mother learn they can let others help them after they've spent so long depending on themselves alone.

Critical Evaluation:
Raspberry Hill is a very unique character. I admire her determination and "entrepreneurial spirit" as her principal would say. It's a hard look at what life is like for those teetering on the edge of poverty- how one set-back could mean life back on the streets. However, I'm a little torn about the outcome of this novel. Raspberry is so determined, and her mother works two jobs and goes to school, but in the end, it is two men who come to their rescue. One is a doctor who her mother is dating that allows them to sleep at his house when they first become homeless. The other is a character named "Odd Job" who lets them move into a place he owns. Wouldn't it have been more of a triumph, and even more believable if these two hard working females came to their own rescue?

Reader’s Annotation:
Raspberry Hill knows how to make money, but she soon finds out that it causes just as many problems as it solves.

Information about the Author:
Sharon Flake is the author of many books about African-American teenage girls. She won the Coretta Scott King Honor Book for Money Hungry. She is a former youth counselor.

Genre:
Realistic Fiction

Curriculum ties: 8th grade English

Booktalking Ideas:
I would focus on Raspberry's relationship with her mother and why Raspberry is so obsessed with money. We could also discuss our own relationships with our parents and how they misunderstand us, then back to the complicated relationships that Raspberry's friends have with their parents.

Reading Level/Interest Age:
The reading level would be perhaps seventh or eighth grade, however, I would also recommend the book to more mature readers with a lower reading level, perhaps up to age sixteen.

Challenge Issues:
This book might be challenged for its mild depiction of street life. I would give the challenger a copy of the collection criteria and let him submit a challenge form.

Why I chose this book:
I knew this book was an award winner and since I most likely will be working with racially diverse patrons, I would love to be able to recommend a wide array of books from every type of experience.