Finding Stinko
by Michael de Guzman

    FINDING STINKO by Michael de Guzman
    Category:  Contemporary
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  4/14/07
    Publisher:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux
    Reviewed by:  Grandma Bev
    Rating:  4 Stars


    A destitute teen mother abandons her infant in an apartment building, leaving a note with him, printed in childish
    block letters. "His name is Newboy.  He is one week old.  Please take care of him.  I can't."

    By the time Newboy is twelve years old he has stopped talking, and after a series of uncaring foster homes, he is
    sent to the worst one yet. Medical examinations and testing do not reveal a cause for his silence, but for Newboy,
    life is just easier that way. The Knoxes keep their flock of foster children on a very rigid schedule and all Newboy
    can think about is escaping to a freedom that he imagines will be much better.

    When he does escape, he takes refuge in a garbage bin where he finds a foul-smelling and damaged ventriloquist's
    dummy.  He names the doll "Stinko."  Newboy is able to talk through the dummy and express himself for the first
    time in several years.  Newboy meets other runaways like himself living on the dangerous streets and they form
    alliances that help them survive.  Mr. and Mrs. Knox are relentlessly searching for him...after all, the State pays
    them for his care.

    This is a touching story of hardship, survival, and the friendships of children struggling against nearly insurmountable
    odds. Newboy's innate sense of right and wrong and his moral values remain intact in spite of his troubles and the
    young hoodlums that confront him.

    de Guzman keeps the tempo fast-paced and exciting, with a cast of wonderful, compelling characters, as Newboy
    dodges his foster parents and young thugs that mean him harm and races toward a satisfying climax.  I highly
    recommend this book...the short length and rapid pace will make it especially attractive to reluctant readers.