703 Churchville Road
Bel Air, MD 21014
September 3, 2010
Dear Maybe,
My name is Alena Stoots and I very much enjoyed reading how you lived your life on the streets in Can’t Get There from Here by Todd Strasser. I am a freshman at The John Carroll School. My summer was fantastic! I went to the Ocean City, Maryland for 2 weeks in July, i went jet skiing for the first time while I was there and also visited the beach a couple times. I have two older sisters, one is in college and the other is a junior at John Carroll. I also have a little brother and 3 golden retrievers. I’m sure you eventually decided to listen to Anthony and find your way off the street and back home with your family or at least into the Youth Housing Unit.
When I first started reading your novel it grabbed my attention right away because you were already homeless and had been for a while. Throughout the book you went from place to place and so did your fellow homeless teens. A certain part of the book that really kept me interested was when you and Rainbow were trying to wash off in the New York City Public Library restroom and two police officers walked in while you were naked and they made you clean up without putting your clothes back on. The reason this shocked me was because Bobby the leader of the two men was extremely cruel and didn’t give you any slack for being younger victims. However, you managed to get through it and so did Rainbow.
I would call Todd Strasser’s method of writing realistic because there are many struggling teens in this world that are homeless and have nowhere else to go. The events that you go through during the story could happen to anyone and because of that I think some people could relate to you and your emotions more than if Can’t Get There from Here was more of a fiction novel. I thought his writing was good because he went into detail about how you were reacting to every situation and also how the people around you reacted.
I would like to know why don’t feel its right to go back home to your family even after you take Tears back to hers. Even though you decided to listen to Anthony and go back to the Youth Housing Project I’m sure you would rather be home and off the streets. Did you ever consider it? Surely it couldn’t hurt to try.
Reading this book made me think differently about the issue of Homeless teens and how they’re lives are so affected by it. While you were on the streets, you stayed strong for yourself and your friends as well. However, towards the end when Rainbow died you could see how she wasn’t capable of taking care of herself and it gave you twice as much work providing her with the care she needed to be okay. Even though they took her away from you when you both were in jail, you never gave up on her. People without homes or shelter are a bigger issue then we realize and should be addressed with more consideration and attention. I believe if there was a better amount of money put it towards a foundation there would be enough room for everyone on the streets to come live in an adoption agency or a group home like the one you visited. If we did this then there would be less and less homeless teens out there every day.
I hope you do find a way back home or at least to a good shelter where you can be protected and have your needs fulfilled. Good luck in your future and stay strong wherever you end up!
Sincerely,
Alena Stoots
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