Friday Memes: House Arrest by K. A. Holt

Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader and Friday 56 is hosted by Freda's Voice.

House Arrest by K. A. Holt. 298 p. Chronicle Books LLC, October 6, 2015. 9781452134772.

Publisher synopsis: Timothy is on probation. It's a strange word—something that happens to other kids, to delinquents, not to kids like him. And yet, he is under house arrest for the next year. He must check in weekly with a probation officer and a therapist, and keep a journal for an entire year. And mostly, he has to stay out of trouble. But when he must take drastic measures to help his struggling family, staying out of trouble proves more difficult than Timothy ever thought it would be. By turns touching and funny, and always original, House Arrest is a middle grade novel in verse about one boy's path to redemption as he navigates life with a sick brother, a grieving mother, and one tough probation officer.

First Line: 
Week 1

Boys don't write in journals, unless it's court ordered.

Page 56: 
Week 11

We don't take Levi out a lot
because of the germs, you know?
Sometimes we have to, though.
And that's when we see
Other
People
dun dun duuuuuuun.
First the forehead gets wrinkly,
then the lips turn down in a frown,
the head tilts to the side,
sometimes there's a tsk-ing noise
or a sigh and a head shake.
A lot of times there's an "I'm sorry."
But that's dumb.
I mean, come on.
Why are you sorry, ugly lady at the grocery store?
Did you give Levi a messed-up airway?
Did you give him a trach?
No.
That's the one thing I like about you, James.
Maybe the only thing.