Money Hungry (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books) [Hardcover]

Sharon G. Flake (Author)

Book Description

Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books

Thirteen-year-old Raspberry Hill is always scheming about ways to make money. She's starved for the green stuff, and will do just about anything legal to get it-wash cars, sell rotten candy, skip lunch, and clean houses. She is obsessed with making money, having money, smelling money, and touching money. Raspberry is determined that she and her momma will never be homeless again. When they are approved for a Section 8 move to a nice house in Pecan Landings, Raspberry thinks things are looking up. But after their apartment in the projects is robbed, and protest by the rich folks in Pecan Landings force them out of their new house, Raspberry must do everything in her power to keep her world from crumbling.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author of The Skin I'm In offers another provocative slice of city life, vibrantly evoking its sights, sounds and smells. With her brassy voice and saucy attitude, 13-year-old Raspberry Hill emerges as a vivacious heroine. She knows first-hand that living in the housing project is better than being out on the streets, but she and her mother are equally determined to move to a safer neighborhood. That's why Raspberry is so "money hungry," hoarding her savings and doing almost anything ("I wouldn't do nothing bad. Nothing that would hurt people, like selling dope, or shoplifting") to earn a few extra dollars. Her stinginess (well known throughout the school) causes as many problems as solutions. When her money issues begin interfering with her friendships, Raspberry is forced to reexamine her priorities and values. Flake candidly expresses the difficulty in breaking the cycle of poverty and leaves it up to readers to judge Raspberry's acts. Ironically, it's not the heroine's stash of hard-earned cash that brings about positive change for the family, but rather her mother's ingenuity and the support offered by generous neighbors. Ages 8-12. (June)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7-9-Raspberry Hill, 13, loves money. She sells clearance holiday candy and pencils, and keeps her lunch money rather than eat. She hoards every dime she can gather and hides her cash in her room. Greed drives her and is more important than friends, boys, or her mother's love. Ever since her father got involved with drugs and she and her mother lived on the streets for a while, cash makes her feel safe. She and her mother now have a place of their own, but life in the projects is hardly ideal. Everybody has problems: Mai Kim, with her mixed heritage; Ja'nae, whose mother deserted her; the bothersome neighbors, Check and Shoe, who help drug dealers in order to eat. When Raspberry's mother finds her stash, she thinks it's stolen, and throws it out the window. Everything else-furniture, dishes, and clothes-is stolen from their apartment and the teen and her mother are on the street again. Raspberry then has to face the questions in her life and work with her mother toward possible solutions. Flake does a stunning job of intertwining Raspberry's story with daily urban scenes, and she writes smoothly and knowingly of teen problems, discussions, and reactions. Focused storytelling, clear writing, and a compelling voice are the highlights of this short novel.
Gail Richmond, San Diego Unified Schools, CA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Jump At The Sun; 1st edition (May 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 078680548X
• ISBN-13: 978-0786805488
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 4.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #991,109 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner by Sharon Flake, May 29, 2001

By 

Leslie Davanzo (Youngstown, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Money Hungry (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books) (Hardcover)

Sharon Flake has successfully written another inspiring book dealing with inner-city youth. Money Hungry was another breath taking story about the problems that inner-city youth face today. Just as she did in The Skin I'm In, Sharon created characters so true to life that the reader feels so in touch with each character. In Money Hungry,Raspberry is so worried about living on the streets again, she is obsessed with having a security fund so that she and her Mother never have to face that horrific ordeal again. I already miss Raspberry and her friends. Finally, an author that grabs and holds the attention of my students who are so reluctant to read. With her books, my students do not want to stop reading, this being a major accomplishment. Don't expect to be able to put this one down. Thanks Sharon Flake for giving my students stories they can relate to. We are waiting for many more.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars money hungry, May 4, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Money Hungry (Jump at the Sun) (Paperback)

This book is real also. It tells you how life is about when you are poor. This family is poor and is getting in all this trouble with the neighbors. The little girl name rasberry hill loves money. She will do anything for some money. So if you love money the way she do then this is the book for you.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit Disappointed, June 13, 2002

By 

laura joy "laurajoy6" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Money Hungry (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books) (Hardcover)

I am a huge fan of "The Skin I'm In" and use it as a read aloud for my 7th graders. I find that my students, the majority of whom are African American, really respond to the characters and tone that Flake uses in her writing. They have long been asking me for other books she has written, and I was thrilled when her sophomore effort appeared on shelves.

However, I felt that "Money Hungry" falls far short of its predecessor. I felt that a wealth of wonderful characters were introduced but never developed. Perhaps we are being set up for sequals, but I was left wanting more information about Zora, Mai, Sato, and Ja'nae. I also felt that the book never came to a true resolution. Will Raspberry ever learn to feel safe? Will she get past her fears? It almost felt as if the ending was rushed to keep the book from becoming too long. It wrapped up much too abruptly.

I am happy to report that my students are responding favorably to the book. I am always pleased to find fiction that they can relate to.