THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE

A biracial teen living in a Pennsylvania town makes a difference by fostering an abandoned Hispanic child. As the only black in a white town, 17-year-old Madge has felt like “the black button in the white button box.” An ex-con and illegal alien, Madge’s single-parent mom frequently disappears, leaving Madge to fend for herself with support from her Aunt Liz, her best friend Serena and her boyfriend Krishna. Madge’s skin has always made her feel like a pariah until she visits her cousin in New York City where she finds Timmy, a four-year-old brown-skinned boy who seems alone and at risk. Impulsively, Madge “rescues” Timmy, bringing him home to Pennsylvania. Madge soon realizes raising a child may be more than she can handle. As she becomes attached to Timmy, Madge learns that Timmy’s aunt in New York wants him back. In the end, Madge makes the right decision by refusing to be indifferent. Mature language and realistic life situations lend verisimilitude to this compelling drama of a young woman’s brave stand against abuse and intolerance. (author’s note) (Fiction. 13-17)