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Throwaway: YA Novel in Verse (Transitional Age Youth Series) is a set of poems by Sheryl Recinos. Becoming part of the unhoused children's community, Margo tells her story in poetic form. Turned away by her parents because she's gay, sixteen-year-old Margo fights for herself on the streets, picking up lessons she never learned in school. Once she decides to go to a shelter, she's offered choices, but she's unsure about the right decision. Without parents to guide her, Margo hopes her selections lead to a better life than her previous one as she learns to say "yes" to life-changing options. The story is told in the first person with free-form verses as readers discover the difficulties facing a displaced teen.
Even though she was not ejected from her home for the same reasons as Margo, Sheryl Recinos was a teen without housing, and she understands the pain of getting "thrown away" by parents who are meant to protect their children. One poem feeds into the next, telling a continuous story of hardship and resilience. Readers learn tidbits of Margo's appearance or backstory from each poem, revealing her situation as it unfolds and uncovering pieces of the trauma that led to her circumstances. Recinos's work notes the roadblocks that keep some people without shelter and relates heartbreaking lines, like when Margo states she is "living in a world that won't protect" her. Throwaway includes a set of book club questions and reading it with a group would be a good way to open up discussions about unsheltered youth in your area.
