Trash

From School Library Journal Gr 7-10–Three young teens, trash-picker living in the city dump of an unnamed third-world country, discover a mysterious bag one morning, triggering a chain of events that will change their lives forever. Raphael, Gordo, and Rat take turns nar-rating the story of how they uncover a network of political corruption and abuse of the poor. Each puzzle the boys solve leads to yet a new riddle for them to work out. The chase leads them throughout the city, exposing the great disparity be-tween the “haves” and the “have nots,” and the huge injustice this represents. Several run-ins with the police make it clear that getting caught means death for the three boys. They face moral dilemmas throughout and, ultimately, make good deci-sions. Their intelligence and characters make the condition in which they live seem even more unfair. While on the surface the book reads like a fast-paced adventure title, it also makes a larger statement about the horrors of poverty and injustice in the world. Occasionally the alternating viewpoints of the book become confusing, particularly when they switch mid-chapter. In spite of this, Trash is a compelling read. The action is riveting and the secret codes throughout will appeal mys-tery fans. Readers will be drawn to this title, and hopefully learn a little about the world outside their own country. Teens who enjoyed the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008) will find much to enjoy here._Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH_ © Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. From In an unnamed Third World city, Rat, Raphael, and Gardo live with thousands of other kids like them in a garbage dump, where they dig through the detritus looking for anything that could be profitable. When an important person loses something valuable in the refuse, the three boys embark on an engrossing, sobering mystery characterized by stealing, lying, and police brutality as well as generosity, trust, and ingenuity. Multiple characters describe the adventure, and although the switch between narrators may initially seem disorienting (a priest, housemother, and tombstone maker also provide their integral perspectives), the story flows more smoothly as it progresses, bolstered by the young characters’ well-articulated, authentic thoughts, feelings, and voices. Throughout, the boys’ significant sense of devotion and morality leads them from lives of desperation to miraculous possibilities. The culminating scenes contribute important elements of Day of the Dead celebrations and Robin Hood themes, further increasing the novel’s usefulness for discussion and study. Grades 6-9. --Andrew Medlar Fiction,Social Science,Juvenile Fiction,Street Children,Developing Countries,Political Corruption,Environment,Poverty,Refuse and Refuse Disposal,Boys & Men,Nature & the Natural World,Mystery and Detective Stories

in An Unnamed Third World Country, In The Not-so-distant Future, Three “dumpsite Boys” Make A Living Picking Through The Mountains Of Garbage On The Outskirts Of A Large City.

one Unlucky-lucky Day, Raphael Finds Something Very Special And Very Mysterious. So Mysterious That He Decides To Keep It, Even When The City Police Offer A Handsome Reward For Its Return. That Decision Brings With It Terrifying Consequences, And Soon The Dumpsite Boys Must Use All Of Their Cunning And Courage To Stay Ahead Of Their Pursuers. It’s Up To Raphael, Gardo, And Rat—boys Who Have No Education, No Parents, No Homes, And No Money—to Solve The Mystery And Right A Terrible Wrong.

andy Mulligan Has Written A Powerful Story About Unthinkable Poverty—and The Kind Of Hope And Determination That Can Transcend It. With Twists And Turns, Unrelenting Action, And Deep, Raw Emotion, trash is A Heart-pounding, Breath-holding Novel.

publishers Weekly

fourteen-year-old Dumpsite Boy Raphael Has Never Found Anything Valuable In The Trash Mounds He Has Combed Over Since Age Three. At Least Not Until He Unearths A Leather Bag Containing A Map, Wallet, And Key. Keeping His Discovery Secret From The Police, Who Quickly Come Looking For The Bag, Raphael Goes In Search Of The Key's Locker, With Two Friends In Tow. Soon They Are In The Middle Of A Suspenseful Mission Involving A Secret Code, A Corrupt Politician, And A Search For Six Million Stolen Dollars. The Three Authentic Boys At The Heart Of This Well-constructed Debut Novel--sweet Raphael, Serious Gardo, And Spirited Rat--take Turns Narrating Most Of Their Story (though Other Voices Are Also Heard); In Distinct Voices, They Provide Harrowing Details About Their Lives In The Dump. This Gripping Book Engages Readers Both As An Adventure And As A Social Justice Story; Clues Suggest That It's Set In A Third World Latin American Country. The Story Wraps A Bit Neatly, But Readers Will Be Satisfied By The Cinematic Conclusion And The Noble Decision The Heroes Make. Ages 12–up. (oct.)

In an unnamed Third World country, in the not-so-distant future, three dumpsite boys make a living picking through the mountains of garbage on the outskirts of a large city. One unlucky-lucky day, Raphael finds something very special and very mysterious. So mysterious that he decides to keep it, even when the city police offer a handsome reward for its return. That decision brings with it terrifying consequences, and soon the dumpsite boys must use all of their cunning and courage to stay ahead of their pursuers. Its up to Raphael, Gardo, and Ratboys who have no education, no parents, no homes, and no moneyto solve the mystery and right a terrible wrong. Andy Mulligan has written a powerful story about unthinkable povertyand the kind of hope and determination that can transcend it. With twists and turns, unrelenting action, and deep, raw emotion, Trash is a heart-pounding, breath-holding novel. The tale of 3 dumpsite boys, Raphael, Gardo and Rat, who live on the trash heaps of Behala and sort through it, hoping to find anything they can sell or recycle. Their lives are rugged, poverty stricken, unadventurous. However this changes when the boys find something in the trash: a bag, with a key and a wallet. When the police show up to question them, even offer them money, the boys decide to evade the authorities to figure things out for themselves. Suggested level: secondary Fourteen-year-olds Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorting through trash in a third-world country's dump.