'Dirt Road Home' is about a bot named Hal, who goes to a boys' home called "Hellenweiler". Hal and his father had made a deal to each other: Hal stays out of trouble, as long as Mr. Mitchell, Hal's dad, stops drinking alcohol. When Hal enters Hellenweiler, he realizes his deal isn't as easy as he thought it seems. He makes an acquaintance, and his name is Leroy. A few weeks into Hellenweiler, and he finds out a little more about the place. There are two "gangs": The Hounds and the Ministers. Deep into the book, he learns about a lot of Hellenweiler and the people in it. The genre of this book is coming of age, and this book is just absolutely amazing! Hal learns a lot about other boys, and himself, to find the true meaning of bravery. He had learn how to fight for himself, without fighting. What will he do? How ill he survive? Read the book to find out!
Dirt Road Home: A Novel (Alabama Moon)
By Watt Key
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 6 - 8 | Grades 2 - 4 | n/a | 3.8 | 47374 |
The story of of the orphan boy Moon, begun in Watt Key's award-winning Alabama Moon, continues with Dirt Road Home
After his recapture, gutsy 14-year-old Hal Mitchell is sentenced to live at Hellenweiler, an institution that is more like a jail than the boys' home it's supposed to be. Hal could walk out in just a few months if he keeps out of trouble. But in a place like Hellenweiler, the more he tries to avoid the gangs and their violence, the stronger Hal's fellow inmates try to make him fail. This title has Common Core connections.
"Key does a fabulous job of keeping his readers involved in the story and vested in the characters. Even reluctant readers will most likely find this one hard to put down." -- VOYA
Publisher: Square Fish
ISBN-13: 9780312674359
ISBN-10: 031267435X
Published on 12/6/2011
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 240