SideStreets

An exploration of teen pregnancy and abortion from the boy's point of view.

"When he was fifteen, Kevin took a car for a joyride and got in an accident that seriously injured a pedestrian. Known inside juvie as Strider, he has spent more than two years locked up, and has learned the hard way to survive inside. When his parole officer suggest that he apply for early parole. Strider realized that it would be hard for him to survive on the outside"--Back of cover.

"Sixteen-year-old Zaine Wyatt's mother walked out of his life when he was twelve, and he was kicked out of his aunt's house. After living on the streets and getting badly beaten up, he is back at his aunt's, but is angry and uncertain that he has a permanent place to live. When his mother breaks another promise to take him back, he flees and trashes a storage shed, injuring the owner as he runs away. To try to get the charges dropped, Zaine agrees to participate in a restorative justice program. He has to fix the damage [and] help out the owner and his disabled grandson, while avoiding being recruited to a gang"--Provided by publisher.

When Birmingham begins seeing Jenna, his initial enthusiasm is tempered by rumors about how many people she has been with in the past. As a result, he finds himself drawn to a new teacher and begins treading down a dangerous path.

Teenage runaways Melanie and Trent try to stay in school after they leave home and try to stay off the streets by getting part-time jobs, but it becomes difficult to balance the demands of school with their low-paying jobs.

Elias feels his relationship with Jordan is more like a brother than a friend, but he begins to have qualms when a schoolyard fight gets them both arrested, and when Jordan comes up with yet another illegal get rich scheme, Elias tries to find a way to distance himself from the trouble he is sure is coming.

Becky, a former skating star who practices self-mutilation to relieve pressure, coaches a young girl who is showing signs of being a cutter and must come to terms with her own problems while trying to help her student.

Penny and her friends have always taunted an eccentric old gypsy whom they call the Queen of Sheba. When a teacher assigns a history project, Penny interviews her grandmother, who tells her about her youth and about the Queen of Sheba, whom she once knew. When Penny's grandmother has a heart attack and dies, the woman comes to pay her respects.

Todd enters the high-stakes world of gambling in the hopes of winning enough cash to impress Claire, but he soon finds himself in over his head.

Jay knows he is a skillful enough rock climber to take a dangerous risk, but when his friend Brad decides to do the same, Jay must find a way to stop Brad before he gets hurt.