Overview

Sixteen-year-old Mattie Rollins has it all figured out. She'll ace her advanced high school courses, earn a college scholarship, and create a new life for herself and her family. There's no time for distractions--no friends, no fun, and especially no boys. But Mattie's brilliant plan crumbles after first becoming homeless, forcing her family to live in the confines of their beat-up station wagon, Ruby, and then the mysterious disappearance of her mother. With life against her at every turn and fewer options every day, Mattie and her kid sister must learn how to live--not just survive--in their uncertain circumstances while racing to discover the truth behind their mother's disappearance. Mattie will have to find the strength to keep searching for her mother and to keep her dreams alive before they both slip away forever.

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9781947845008

Table of Contents

Reviews

With unforgettable characters and fraught conflicts, Connie King Leonard gives urgent voice to those who fall through the ever-widening gaps in our social safety net. Her tale of two sisters fending for themselves in the face of domestic violence and homelessness will break your heart but also fill you with a sturdy hope born of resilience. Sleeping in My Jeans is a tender, compassionate portrayal of a family in crisis. --Scott Nadelson This story really illustrates how fast things can fall apart, how close all of us are to total vulnerability, how much we should all be grateful for the support of our friends and family, because without them this truly is a cruel world. Bouncing back between a high school romance and the terrifying reality of homelessness is a tense, a thrilling roller coaster ride of despair and hope. The dichotomy of emergent love and family secrets, of danger and perseverance, of Mattie learning to be a sister and a daughter, while also freeing her heart, is a gorgeous exploration of the many facets of being human, and it finishes with a stomach-clenching twist so unexpected it leaves you breathless. You will root for Mattie and Meg, and their brave, struggling mother, every step of the way. --Estelle Laure What makes an honors student panhandle on the corner? What causes a college bound teen to be caught up in the arms of a sex trafficker? Author Connie King does a masterful job of showing just how quickly the gap between the haves and the have-nots spreads when life takes a turn for the worst. Sleeping in My Jeans is a story that details the impossible options we might have if we lost our home, our stability and our trust in the people around us. If you've ever wondered why people live on the street, Connie King Leonard can show you how easy it is to get there -- and how difficult it can be to get back home. --D. K. Greene Ms. Leonard has provided us with page after page of unforgettable characters and a sobering, heartfelt look at the sometimes sudden onset of childhood homelessness and the hidden dangers of human trafficking. Mattie is fiercely resilient, Meg is charming, and though the mother is flawed--as most mothers are--one thing we never doubt is the love she has for her children. The ending is uplifting and gives us a huge dose of hope--hope that Mattie and her family will somehow beat the odds. --Brenda Woods I finished this book in an afternoon! There was no leaving Mattie Rollins in the midst of her quest for safety and no reading the novel without falling in love with her. Sleeping In My Jeans captures the innocent, insightful lyricism of adolescence. Through Mattie's voice, Leonard is able to tell a story that neither sensationalizes nor minimizes the challenges faced by homeless families. Definitely one of the best novels about teenage homelessness, Sleeping in My Jeans would make a wonderful addition to any middle school library or high school reading list. --Karelia Stetz-Waters

A teen's struggles with homelessness become more complicated when her mother disappears. Mattie Rollins, a mixed-race (black/white) 16-year-old, does all she can to take care of her 6-year-old sister, Meg, while their white mother works and attends school. Sharing an apartment with their mom's boyfriend helps to make ends meet, but that changes abruptly when he beats their mom during a fight and they are forced to flee, ending up living in their car. Mattie tries hard to keep her grades up and remain focused, but the indignities of their situation interfere with normal life, especially when Jack, a white classmate, tries to make a connection. Jack is persistent and eventually becomes an important friend. The girls spend their after-school time in the public library. When their mom doesn't pick them up one evening, Mattie is distraught, but she puts on a brave face for Meg, even panhandling to get bus fare. Finally, she realizes her mother didn't just leave them but is in danger. This stark look at the problems of one vulnerable family drives home how difficult life can be for young people on the street. Mattie is smart and resourceful, fortunate to find allies, and still has difficulties. The story portrays a system that is unforgiving of bad luck and the poor decisions of a single mom without extended family. Straightforward prose and sympathetic characters serve the narrative and arouse empathy. (author's note) (Fiction. 12-18) --Kirkus Review Kirkus Connie King Leonard's emotional and intense Sleeping in My Jeans is led by Mattie, a determined sixteen-year-old who wants to go to college and get a good job so that she can help her six-year-old sister, Meg, do the same. Her plans are threatened when her mother's boyfriend beats her mother up, and the family has to leave the home though they have nowhere to go. Family troubles extend beyond domestic abuse and homelessness when the girls' mother drops them off at the library and does not return. Mattie knows that her mother would never willingly leave; she is certain that something is terribly wrong. In addition to trying to keep both herself and her sister safe, she searches for her mother. Mattie does not allow herself even the most basic of comforts. When Jack, a boy at school, tries to get to know her, she rebuffs him, though she longs for the friendship. It is painful to witness her suffering and to share her fear and loneliness. Though a work of fiction, the book deals with real young adult issues, including homelessness and vulnerability. Mattie's situation is not romanticized--she is hungry and tired and cold, and she fights hard to protect her mom and sister. Her ordeals leave serious scars, but she never gives up. Sleeping in My Jeans is an enlightening teen read; its serious issues and compelling story make it impossible to forget. --Catherine Thureson Foreword Review This story really illustrates how fast things can fall apart, how close all of us are to total vulnerability, how much we should all be grateful for the support of our friends and family, because without them this truly is a cruel world. Bouncing back between a high school romance and the terrifying reality of homelessness is a tense, a thrilling roller coaster ride of despair and hope. The dichotomy of emergent love and family secrets, of danger and perseverance, of Mattie learning to be a sister and a daughter, while also freeing her heart, is a gorgeous exploration of the many facets of being human, and it finishes with a stomach-clenching twist so unexpected it leaves you breathless. You will root for Mattie and Meg, and their brave, struggling mother, every step of the way. --Estelle Laure With unforgettable characters and fraught conflicts, Connie King Leonard gives urgent voice to those who fall through the ever-widening gaps in our social safety net. Her tale of two sisters fending for themselves in the face of domestic violence and homelessness will break your heart but also fill you with a sturdy hope born of resilience. Sleeping in My Jeans is a tender, compassionate portrayal of a family in crisis. --Scott Nadelson Ms. Leonard has provided us with page after page of unforgettable characters and a sobering, heartfelt look at the sometimes sudden onset of childhood homelessness and the hidden dangers of human trafficking. Mattie is fiercely resilient, Meg is charming, and though the mother is flawed--as most mothers are--one thing we never doubt is the love she has for her children. The ending is uplifting and gives us a huge dose of hope--hope that Mattie and her family will somehow beat the odds. --Brenda Woods I finished this book in an afternoon! There was no leaving Mattie Rollins in the midst of her quest for safety and no reading the novel without falling in love with her. Sleeping In My Jeans captures the innocent, insightful lyricism of adolescence. Through Mattie's voice, Leonard is able to tell a story that neither sensationalizes nor minimizes the challenges faced by homeless families. Definitely one of the best novels about teenage homelessness, Sleeping in My Jeans would make a wonderful addition to any middle school library or high school reading list. --Karelia Stetz-Waters What makes an honors student panhandle on the corner? What causes a college bound teen to be caught up in the arms of a sex trafficker? Author Connie King does a masterful job of showing just how quickly the gap between the haves and the have-nots spreads when life takes a turn for the worst. Sleeping in My Jeans is a story that details the impossible options we might have if we lost our home, our stability and our trust in the people around us. If you've ever wondered why people live on the street, Connie King Leonard can show you how easy it is to get there -- and how difficult it can be to get back home. --D. K. Greene

What makes an honors student panhandle on the corner? What causes a college bound teen to be caught up in the arms of a sex trafficker? Author Connie King does a masterful job of showing just how quickly the gap between the haves and the have-nots spreads when life takes a turn for the worst. Sleeping in My Jeans is a story that details the impossible options we might have if we lost our home, our stability and our trust in the people around us. If you've ever wondered why people live on the street, Connie King Leonard can show you how easy it is to get there -- and how difficult it can be to get back home. --D. K. Greene Ms. Leonard has provided us with page after page of unforgettable characters and a sobering, heartfelt look at the sometimes sudden onset of childhood homelessness and the hidden dangers of human trafficking. Mattie is fiercely resilient, Meg is charming, and though the mother is flawed--as most mothers are--one thing we never doubt is the love she has for her children. The ending is uplifting and gives us a huge dose of hope--hope that Mattie and her family will somehow beat the odds. --Brenda Woods I finished this book in an afternoon! There was no leaving Mattie Rollins in the midst of her quest for safety and no reading the novel without falling in love with her. Sleeping In My Jeans captures the innocent, insightful lyricism of adolescence. Through Mattie's voice, Leonard is able to tell a story that neither sensationalizes nor minimizes the challenges faced by homeless families. Definitely one of the best novels about teenage homelessness, Sleeping in My Jeans would make a wonderful addition to any middle school library or high school reading list. --Karelia Stetz-Waters

A teen's struggles with homelessness become more complicated when her mother disappears. Mattie Rollins, a mixed-race (black/white) 16-year-old, does all she can to take care of her 6-year-old sister, Meg, while their white mother works and attends school. Sharing an apartment with their mom's boyfriend helps to make ends meet, but that changes abruptly when he beats their mom during a fight and they are forced to flee, ending up living in their car. Mattie tries hard to keep her grades up and remain focused, but the indignities of their situation interfere with normal life, especially when Jack, a white classmate, tries to make a connection. Jack is persistent and eventually becomes an important friend. The girls spend their after-school time in the public library. When their mom doesn't pick them up one evening, Mattie is distraught, but she puts on a brave face for Meg, even panhandling to get bus fare. Finally, she realizes her mother didn't just leave them but is in danger. This stark look at the problems of one vulnerable family drives home how difficult life can be for young people on the street. Mattie is smart and resourceful, fortunate to find allies, and still has difficulties. The story portrays a system that is unforgiving of bad luck and the poor decisions of a single mom without extended family. Straightforward prose and sympathetic characters serve the narrative and arouse empathy. (author's note) (Fiction. 12-18) --Kirkus Review Kirkus Connie King Leonard's emotional and intense Sleeping in My Jeans is led by Mattie, a determined sixteen-year-old who wants to go to college and get a good job so that she can help her six-year-old sister, Meg, do the same. Her plans are threatened when her mother's boyfriend beats her mother up, and the family has to leave the home though they have nowhere to go. Family troubles extend beyond domestic abuse and homelessness when the girls' mother drops them off at the library and does not return. Mattie knows that her mother would never willingly leave; she is certain that something is terribly wrong. In addition to trying to keep both herself and her sister safe, she searches for her mother. Mattie does not allow herself even the most basic of comforts. When Jack, a boy at school, tries to get to know her, she rebuffs him, though she longs for the friendship. It is painful to witness her suffering and to share her fear and loneliness. Though a work of fiction, the book deals with real young adult issues, including homelessness and vulnerability. Mattie's situation is not romanticized--she is hungry and tired and cold, and she fights hard to protect her mom and sister. Her ordeals leave serious scars, but she never gives up. Sleeping in My Jeans is an enlightening teen read; its serious issues and compelling story make it impossible to forget. --Catherine Thureson Foreword Review With unforgettable characters and fraught conflicts, Connie King Leonard gives urgent voice to those who fall through the ever-widening gaps in our social safety net. Her tale of two sisters fending for themselves in the face of domestic violence and homelessness will break your heart but also fill you with a sturdy hope born of resilience. Sleeping in My Jeans is a tender, compassionate portrayal of a family in crisis. --Scott Nadelson This story really illustrates how fast things can fall apart, how close all of us are to total vulnerability, how much we should all be grateful for the support of our friends and family, because without them this truly is a cruel world. Bouncing back between a high school romance and the terrifying reality of homelessness is a tense, a thrilling roller coaster ride of despair and hope. The dichotomy of emergent love and family secrets, of danger and perseverance, of Mattie learning to be a sister and a daughter, while also freeing her heart, is a gorgeous exploration of the many facets of being human, and it finishes with a stomach-clenching twist so unexpected it leaves you breathless. You will root for Mattie and Meg, and their brave, struggling mother, every step of the way. --Estelle Laure What makes an honors student panhandle on the corner? What causes a college bound teen to be caught up in the arms of a sex trafficker? Author Connie King does a masterful job of showing just how quickly the gap between the haves and the have-nots spreads when life takes a turn for the worst. Sleeping in My Jeans is a story that details the impossible options we might have if we lost our home, our stability and our trust in the people around us. If you've ever wondered why people live on the street, Connie King Leonard can show you how easy it is to get there -- and how difficult it can be to get back home. --D. K. Greene Ms. Leonard has provided us with page after page of unforgettable characters and a sobering, heartfelt look at the sometimes sudden onset of childhood homelessness and the hidden dangers of human trafficking. Mattie is fiercely resilient, Meg is charming, and though the mother is flawed--as most mothers are--one thing we never doubt is the love she has for her children. The ending is uplifting and gives us a huge dose of hope--hope that Mattie and her family will somehow beat the odds. --Brenda Woods I finished this book in an afternoon! There was no leaving Mattie Rollins in the midst of her quest for safety and no reading the novel without falling in love with her. Sleeping In My Jeans captures the innocent, insightful lyricism of adolescence. Through Mattie's voice, Leonard is able to tell a story that neither sensationalizes nor minimizes the challenges faced by homeless families. Definitely one of the best novels about teenage homelessness, Sleeping in My Jeans would make a wonderful addition to any middle school library or high school reading list. --Karelia Stetz-Waters

Author Information

Connie King Leonard is a writer of books for children and teens. She holds degrees in education from Minot State University and the University of Oregon, and has taught both elementary and middle school. With an estimated 21,000 homeless students in the Oregon school system this year alone, her years teaching provided the inspiration for this novel. Sleeping in My Jeans works to give these children a voice and a story. This is her first novel.

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