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39th out of 144 books
—
391 voters
Keesha's House
by
Helen Frost
An unforgettable narrative collage told in poems
Keesha has found a safe place to live, and other kids gravitate to her house when they just can’t make it on their own. They are Stephie – pregnant, trying to make the right decisions for herself and those she cares about; Jason – Stephie’s boyfriend, torn between his responsibility to Stephie and the baby and the promise of...more
Keesha has found a safe place to live, and other kids gravitate to her house when they just can’t make it on their own. They are Stephie – pregnant, trying to make the right decisions for herself and those she cares about; Jason – Stephie’s boyfriend, torn between his responsibility to Stephie and the baby and the promise of...more
Paperback, 116 pages
Published
February 20th 2007
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
(first published April 2nd 2003)
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Elizabeth Centeio December , 5 , 2008
Keesha’s House. That’s the book I just finished reading. The outstanding author that wrote this book is Helen Frost. The genre is fiction but feels like reality. The theme of this book is that there’s always a person you can count on and lift you up when your going through a difficult time.
There’s more to this book than just six people living together in a home. It gets deeper than that. It tells a life lesson about these six young teenagers trying to get t...more
Keesha’s House. That’s the book I just finished reading. The outstanding author that wrote this book is Helen Frost. The genre is fiction but feels like reality. The theme of this book is that there’s always a person you can count on and lift you up when your going through a difficult time.
There’s more to this book than just six people living together in a home. It gets deeper than that. It tells a life lesson about these six young teenagers trying to get t...more
I read this book and almost cried when I got finished. I was very angry that it wasn't longer, so shame on you Helen Frost. Like really WHY write a good book if its not going to be long. I really really really liked this book and when I was finished I was like are you serious what the F word author. Ha ha now that I am done ranting lets talk about this book. As soon as I opened this short read I was geeking heavy. I like books with alot of drama and things like that. It really pisses me off thou...more
I justed finished reading Keisha’s House and it reminds me a lot of another book title Tyrell By: Coe Booth. Keesha’s house is filled with many hurtles that every day teenagers face in the world. What keep we deeply engaged into this book was its writing style, the drama filled characters and the book setting.
While I was reading Keisha’s it felt like I was reading a book written by Coe Booth. Helen frost and Coe Booth have similar writing style and that made the book more enjoyable for me.
There...more
While I was reading Keisha’s it felt like I was reading a book written by Coe Booth. Helen frost and Coe Booth have similar writing style and that made the book more enjoyable for me.
There...more
I really appreciate Helen Frost's explanation of the poetic forms she used at the end of this novel. Verse novels can be a mystery that needs to be unlocked (this is often part of the draw of them for me), but reading her explanations of sonnets and sestinas after reading her wonderful novel unlocked a big part of that mystery.
Frost's use of structured form is an interesting contrast to the chaos in the lives of her characters. Each teenager has been let down in a big way by at least one adult i...more
Frost's use of structured form is an interesting contrast to the chaos in the lives of her characters. Each teenager has been let down in a big way by at least one adult i...more
May 10, 2012
Drew Nevitt
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
High school kids
Recommended to Drew by:
Donna Soper
Shelves:
young-adult-lit
This has been the most fantastic book I've read since Frankenstein or Fahrenheit 451! It's got depth and human emotion, and reality and pain in it! It's crafted beautifully with it's rhyme and meter, and uses images and words that young readers can identify with. I found myself reflecting back to when I was in high school and facing problems, looking to run away and be accepted, or live on the streets. It's dirty, and cold, like sleeping on park bench feels. But the same warmth as a hot shower c...more
This is a story written in poetic form about a group of teenagers struggling with various things. Some have experienced abuse. Some have experienced the harsh realities of home life. Some have had to grow up too fast. But all of them are struggling in some way, shape, or form. Although their struggles are different, their common bond is this place known as Keesha's House. It's a place they can go to escape the bad and feel safe. It is the one thing that happens to bring them all together in thei...more
Several teenage protagonists are in various stages of self-discovery, confusion, and conflict: a girl and her reluctant boyfriend deal with her pregnancy; a boy reveals his homosexuality to his parents and is subsequently thrown out of his home; and other parents of the characters are imprisoned, abusive, or deceased. Joe is a young man who owns his aunt's home. Because she took him in when he was twelve-years-old, he now wants to help troubled youth. Even though it's Joe's house, local kids ref...more
This book tells the stories of 7 teenagers who are all experiencing trials relevant to modern teenagers and their interaction with Keesha's house. This house with a large blue front door originally belonged to Joe's aunt Annie. When he was a teenager she took him in and gave him a place to stay without asking questions. After she passed away Joe decided to continue on with the tradition. Keesha ran away from her drunk father and found refuge at Joe's house. As she comes in contact with youth nee...more
This book is about several teens that, in one way or another, have gotten into trouble and need a place to stay. They end up at Keesha’s house. Stephie's pregnant, Jason's the father of Stephie's unborn child, Dontay's parents are in prison, Carmen has an alcoholic problem, Harris is gay and disowned by his parents, and Katie is living in a home with an abusive stepfather. They find refuge in Keesha's house. The house belongs to a man named Joe, who once found the house a sanctuary himself when...more
Helen Frost uses the sestina and the sonnet form to tell the story of several troubled teenagers who find refuge in Keesha's house, a home owned by Joe, an adult who has provided a safe haven for anyone who needs it. I had several questions about how this system would legally work--how could the social workers just accept that the foster kid just stopped showing up?--but I don't think that was the point of the story. The point was that these kids found a place where they could be safe and not wo...more
Seven adolescents, each living through their own time of trial and doubt, come together in this beautiful little book. I can't recall the last time I sat down and read a book of poetry from cover to cover in one sitting, but these kids captured my attention and made me listen to their stories. Each is running from their own demons and find refuge in Keesha's house. The language is more ordinary than lyrical, but the forms of traditional poetry (at least according to Miss Keith, my English teach...more
The book I read for this weeks unit was Keesh's House. I felt I had a strong connection with some of the characters such as Jason, who was a star athlelete of his school. But like me he had road blocks that almost kept him from playing sports on the college level. The setting of Keesha's was really realistic because of how the characters described their experiences of being in that one house made an impact in their lives.
Before I started reading this story , I pictured myself reading a normal fu...more
Before I started reading this story , I pictured myself reading a normal fu...more
I am working to build a database of high-quality YA books for use in after-school literacy programs for diverse, urban students. This book came highly recommended to me, and I'm so glad it did. Although I am not a huge fan of poetry and I thought the story could have been told just as well without it, the format definitely lends itself well to some great discussions and activities.
Additionally, I loved how the book represented the voice of so many different characters, ethnicities, backgrounds,...more
Additionally, I loved how the book represented the voice of so many different characters, ethnicities, backgrounds,...more
Keesha is a girl in high school who has had a rough life, and found refuge in a safe house run by an older man. She takes it over and keeps it clean and offers a place to stay for other teens like her who need a place to sleep. This book is a collection of poems from a handful of teens who find their way to Keesha's house. They are dealing with a variety serious issues at home such as pregnancy, abuse, abandonment, homosexuality, drinking, etc.
I loved these poems. They were honest, and showed th...more
I loved these poems. They were honest, and showed th...more
This book is a double edged sword for me.
Although I believe in the spirit of the book - the idea that "Joe" would be so open with these kids and willing to give all he had in order to help them.
BUT, I have a tough time believing that so many people would be willing to give for these kids. First, what he's doing isn't exactly legal, right? Does that alone make it wrong? Ugh, it's hard. And so often, many of the adults that would be willing to do something like this (rescue these kids) aren't doi...more
Although I believe in the spirit of the book - the idea that "Joe" would be so open with these kids and willing to give all he had in order to help them.
BUT, I have a tough time believing that so many people would be willing to give for these kids. First, what he's doing isn't exactly legal, right? Does that alone make it wrong? Ugh, it's hard. And so often, many of the adults that would be willing to do something like this (rescue these kids) aren't doi...more
This story is told from multiple points of view with no particular character being in the center. Various teens from totally different dysfunctional homes all find their way to Keesha's house where they hope to find the support they need. Issues include being homeless, gay, teen & parent alcoholism, grandparents as parents, sexual abuse, and the foster care system. Makes the reader aware of a lot of social issues when all too often, people just see teens behaving poorly. -Gloria
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Jan 30, 2012
Martha
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
middle/high schoolers, teachers of middle/high school
I'm a middle school teacher, and enjoyed Keesha's House for both the story and the format. I liked that Frost used the sestina & sonnet forms to tell the stories of the teens in the book. The problems the kids in the book face touch on a wide variety of issues that kids deal with in the real world every day. Frost handled the reactions of both the kids and the adults very realistically.
I'd recommend Keesha's House to middle and high schoolers who are looking for a reflection of reality in th...more
I'd recommend Keesha's House to middle and high schoolers who are looking for a reflection of reality in th...more
So, about this book, I enjoyed this story. The plot of this book is based off real life situations and gives a realistic view of how the teenagers deal with it. The story is told from different characters' points of view. Each of the characters have their own story that contributes to one big story. It's set up that one character is part of another character's story. The poetry helped bring rhythm to the setting. It gave a good flow to the story. Each of the characters go to Keesha's house to es...more
Keesha's House is a short story in poety format about several youths who are stuggling with serious issues, and find shelter in Keesha's house. Keesha offers not only shelter but a refuge of love and friendship. The reader follows the stories of Stephie, an unexpected pregnancy and her boyfriend and the father, Jason; Dontay who has ended up in foster care; Carmen arrested for DUI; Harris who has come out to his parents about being gay; Katie who has left home because of her abusive stepfather.
I...more
I...more
Very clever poetry and deserving of the Printz award. Helen Frost has created a compact and poignant window into a world of disenfranchised teenagers experiencing hardship and loneliness. The author includes a very useful section at the back explaining the poetic form and structure included in the book. The tone is conversational, almost diary-like. She intersperses narration by parents, coaches, and counselors with narration by the teens and pulls it all together at the end with a crown of sonn...more
This book was great. The collection of poems tells the stories of 6 different teenagers and the struggles they are going through. I think this is such a great book because it deals with real issues that YA readers deal with today. I found myself getting emotionally invested in some of the characters because I could relate to what they were going through. I liked that the author wrote some entries from an adults point of view, so you know that they really do care about their kids that have run aw...more
Keesha's house is one of the best poem novels (I don't know the technical name) I've ever read. The book is written from the perspective of six different teens who are facing real-life problems and trying to cope with issues like abandonment, abuse, teen-pregnancy, and discovering their identity. All of these characters in the book gravitate to a home that's opened to kids/teens that can't make it on their own and need a place to stay in order to get by.
As you get to know these characters and ga...more
As you get to know these characters and ga...more
Not my favorite kind of book. It was fun and mind opening, but I like to get more into a story, the plot and characters. But for what was expected of a long poetry story, it delivered. There is a different character speaking on each page and they are all somehow related. Each character has their own problem and for some reason are all connected to Keesha's house, a place where they can feel they are accepted. Whether you are a couple dealing with teen pregnancy, a gay teenager, someone with a ju...more
This book was interesting. It was written in poem formant and it is very small. Every chapter is part of a different persons story. They are all connected through this one place called Keesha's house. Each young adult is going through something different. One girl is dealing with an abusive step father while another girl is dealing with teenage pregnancy. Each part tells you a little bit about the specified character and it just goes through the people and explains their life.
I didn't love this...more
I didn't love this...more
Keesha has finally found a safe place to live, away from the abuse at home. soon she starts to invite others to live at the home with her, so that they too can escape from their lives. Stephie and her boyfriend find out that she is pregnant, Dontay is living in foster care while his parents are in prison, Harris is kicked out when he admits to his father that he is gay, and Katie who is running away from her sexually abusive step-father. they all learn new things about their lives and those arou...more
This story is about seven struggling teenagers, Stephie, Jason, Keesha, Dontay, Carmen, Harris, and Katie, who find refuge at Keesha's House. Keesha's house is really Joe's. Joe knows what it is like to be shut out from the world with no place to go. His aunt welcomed him into her home and so he does the same for troubled teens. All these teens are facing hard problems and being together at Keesha's house helps them to survive.
I am not usually a fan of poem styled books, but I got a lot out of K...more
I am not usually a fan of poem styled books, but I got a lot out of K...more
Keesha's House is written in poem format. It is written in chronological order. It is written from the point of view of of seven teens who all have one thing in common: they all have family issues. In Keesha's House there is a place called, Keesha's house, where teens can go if they need a place to stay without a lot of questions.
I really liked this book. It is different than most books I read and shows an entirely different perspective than is normally shown when portraying "troubled youth." T...more
I really liked this book. It is different than most books I read and shows an entirely different perspective than is normally shown when portraying "troubled youth." T...more
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was in poem form which made it an easy read. The author let the reader dig deep in each of the characters life and the things that they were going through. It was good to put myself in each of their shoes and really try to understand the things that they were going through. I loved the ending and the way that they were able to somehow be a little bit more happier and understand the things that they were going through and why they were going through. This is...more
The most haunting line in this book for me personally was:
All my life I've wanted a sister, but who's to say you'd get one you could trust?
Keesha's House is a short YA novel written entirely in poems by a group of teenagers who are having a variety of troubles (and yes, every problem you can imagine teenagers encountering is in this book!) and who find themselves at a local home. Although the home is run by Joe, who is an adult, high school runaway Keesha helps her classmates who need a place to...more
All my life I've wanted a sister, but who's to say you'd get one you could trust?
Keesha's House is a short YA novel written entirely in poems by a group of teenagers who are having a variety of troubles (and yes, every problem you can imagine teenagers encountering is in this book!) and who find themselves at a local home. Although the home is run by Joe, who is an adult, high school runaway Keesha helps her classmates who need a place to...more
It's Keesha's house, but not really. The House belongs to Joe, his aunt passed it onto him with the instructions that he should continue to use it to help people. Keesha helps accomplish this by letting the people know it is available and ready for anyone who needs to get away. Keesha herself is on the run from her home. After her mom died her father has taken to drinking heavily and is not a very happy person when he drinks. Along with Keesha some of the residents include Stephie a 16 year old...more
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Helen Frost is the author of six novels-in-poems and two picture books for children and young adults. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/helenf...
More about Helen Frost...
Helen Frost is the author of six novels-in-poems and two picture books for children and young adults. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/helenf...
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Jan 28, 2011 02:29pm