Danny Ain't by Joe Cottonwood Danny's Pop's a 'Nam vet, and he has what Danny thinks of as a head limp. When Danny's father has a flashback that keeps him in a tree for two days, Danny calls his pop's friend Tommy. Tommy takes Pop to the VA hospital, and Danny is left on his own. On his own, to find food, to pay the rent, to look after himself. He knows he has to do it; when he'd been sent to Miracle Home, before, the miracle had been that he had gotten out alive. Pop says the coyotes were in the land first, and that they're the Indian's friend. Which is good, because there are two coyotes living under Danny's trailer. The coyotes are wary of humans, tough, resourceful, street. Danny tries to be like them. Danny, amazingly enough, never thinks that life's not fair. His friends are all much richer than he is, and yet Danny is perceptive enough to understand that there are ways in which he's better off.
This is the companion book to
The Adventures of Boone Barnaby, but the books are not dependant on each other in the least. Danny's strength is a hopeful light. His wry views (bankruptcy is for the rich) are always dead-on. Danny had to be wary to insure that no one would send him into foster care. If you knew a boy(13) who was managing on his own, what would you do?
Great reading.
