The Art of Dumpster Diving

Unique perspective: told from the point-of-view of a middle schooler who is experiencing a very adult situation and being guided by a similarly immature friend, the level of expertise in presenting this perspective from southern dialect to insight rises to the level of Faulkner and Twain.
Literary Platform: her book Bagels and Grits was chosen by the American Association of School Librarians as an Outstanding Book, in addition to her books, she's published dozens of essays, articles, Op Ed pieces, and short stories, and her work has been anthologized in the Pushcart Prizes and New Stories from the South: The Year's Best.
New Southern Voice: set in Louisiana and depicting the story of a family impacted by social and economical woes that are unique to the south-from drug addiction to education and even the weather-this story presents a believable and artful presentation of the modern south.