Trash Can Days
by Teddy Steinkellner
The best part of the soon-to-be released Trash Can Days by Teddy Steinkellner, was that there was at least one character in the story that every middle school student could relate to. There is Hannah, the beautiful and popular girl. Her brother Jake, smart and under-developed. His best friend Danny, who is Mexican and works for Jake's family and grew a foot over the summer. Dorothy, Jake's new quirky Asian friend who breaks the stereotype by being bad at math. And a cast of peripheral characters that act as foils to the main characters.
I think many middle school students will see their own lives reflected among the four main characters that Steinkellner has created. And, in typical, Disney fashion, will learn a valuable lesson along the way. This book would be an asset on every middle school library shelf.
