A Room on Lorelei Street

A ROOM ON LORELEI STREET

It is not arms holding you. Not a kiss on the forehead. Not a packed lunch or a remembered birthday. Just a room. But for seventeen-year-old Zoe, struggling to shed the suffocating responsibility of her alcoholic mother and the controlling guilt of her grandmother, a rented room on Lorelei Street is a fierce grab for control of her own future.

But with all odds against her, can a seventeen-year-old who only slings hash to make ends meet make it on her own? Zoe struggles with this worry and the guilt of abandoning her mother as she goes to lengths that even she never dreamed she would in order to keep the room on Lorelei Street.

A room is not much . . .

Mary E. Pearson Copyright © 2005
ISBN 0805076670
Henry Holt and Company

Teacher's Guide
Available

Prepared for Henry Holt and Company by Library Media Specialist, Susan Geye

2006 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults

Richie's Picks: THE BEST OF 2005

CCBC Recommended Book

"Pearson sophisticatedly crafts a quietly cramped, small-town Texas community. All literary elements . . . seamlessly and poetically coalesce" --KIRKUS

"the story and hero just swept me away." --CYNSATIONS

"An incredible read up to the very last page." --DEBBI MICHIKO FLORENCE

"Honest books like this one will be remembered, discussed and held close to the heart for a long time." --GAIL GILES

"characters are complex and well drawn . . . Teenage girls will enjoy reading this book" --JENNY INGRAM, VOYA

"Teens will relate to Zoe's fierce need for independence." --KRISTEN MORELAND, Teen Reviewer, VOYA

" . . . the best book I've read this year. Not best YA book; the best book, period." --LIZ BURNS, Blog: A Chair, A Fireplace and a Tea Cozy, Sr Librarian Teen Services, Toms River, NJ

"Pearson paints a compelling portrait of a teen, easily recognizable to most YAs, who is simultaneously intent on survival and self-sabotage." --BOOKLIST

"Pearson’s book sings. Its exquisite language paints rooms and characters with vivid three-dimensional colors making it difficult to believe that we are reading fiction. A Room on Lorelei Street is a must buy for sophisticated high school readers . . . "--ED SPICER, Michigan Reading Journal

"The third-person narration is at times lyrical, vividly expressing the teen's feelings and motivations. This book is a good read and the message--while powerful--is not overpowering." --SLJ

"Recommended for senior high school students. Recommended for advanced students and adults." --KLIATT

"You may not agree with her choices, but you’’ll think about them long after you've finished her story. READ IT . . . " --TEEN PEOPLE MAGAZINE

"With strength, resolve, and a little help from an old woman with a big dog, Zoe tackles her problems one by one . . . the reader can feel all of her frustration, love, sadness and determination." --TEENREADS.COM

Check out these interviews about
A Room on Lorelei Street:

Podcast Interview with Teen Librarian, Miranda Doyle

Interview at TeenReads.com

Cynsations Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith

"Pearson's wrenching novel pierces the heart and ultimately delivers hope." --DES MOINES REGISTER

"I thoroughly enjoyed this book, one that kept me guessing and had my heart in my throat in the last couple of chapters."
--TERI LESESNE, 'The Goddess of YA Literature'

Tayshas List 2006 - 2007

2006 California Collection

"This is no doubt one of the most powerful books of the year."
--DIANA TIXIER HERALD, Genrefluent

"Masterfully written . . . Highly Recommended." --BRENDA ETHRIDGE FERGUSON, Library Media Connection, starred review.

Michigan Library Assoc Thumbs Up Award Nominee

From readers and reviewers . . .

WINNER of the 2005
GOLDEN KITE BOOK AWARD
for FICTION
Presented by
The Society of Children's Book
Writers and Illustrators

2006 NYPL Best Books for the Teen Age