The Dollar Kids

Lowen has always loved drawing his comics, but since the day Abe died, he can only draw stories about Abe and his death.  Lowen didn't pull the trigger, but he did send Abe to the store where he was shot.  Lowen just wanted a little peace and quiet, and now Abe is dead. 

When he sees a story about homes selling for $1 in dwindling communities, it seems like the perfect opportunity.  The towns want new people to fill schools and create business, and Lowen wants to escape his guilt.

His family is ecstatic when they are chosen to move to Millville.  His mom will open a restaurant, and his dad wants to open a clinic.  The Millvillians are welcoming at first, but Lowen soon realizes many people resent the Dollar Families.  Millville needs the Dollar Kids to fill its empty classrooms and to have enough kids to play on sports teams. 

The houses are even worse than they thought:  moldy bathrooms, sagging floors, leaky roofs.  It will be a miracle if they can fix up the house by the deadline. 

All the while, Lowen is trying to stay separate from the other kids, Millvillians and Dollar Kids.  He knows what happens to his friends.  Plus, no one else knows about his role in Abe's death, so he decides to punish himself.  No friends, no drawing.  He doesn't deserve to be happy. 

Jennifer Richard Jacobson's new book is a beautiful story about healing, grief, and the power of friendship.  This isn't a story filled with action, but it is compelling nonetheless.  Readers will be pulled into Lowen's story and cheer him and Millville as they begin the road to healing.  Comic panels by Ryan Andrews enhance the story and highlight the power of art in healing and therapy.  Highly recommended.