Details

Length: 296
Story Build: Quick 
Character development: Solid
Age Recommendation: 6th grade and up 
Reasoning: main character is in the 7th grade; steals

Summary and Review

 I had read Redwood and Ponytail in the fall, I think, after Melanie Roy told me it was amazing. It was. So it felt only natural to grab more of K. A. Holt’s texts for my classroom. This particular YA book feels super timely since most of us are enduring a type of “house arrest” with this social distancing. 

Anyway, in the same style of Redwood and Ponytail, House Arrest is written in verse. However, it’s not hard to follow for those of you who think, “What? Poetry!?” It’s quick and reads just like a traditional narrative. But Holt is a powerful story creator with her verses, and you will immediately be thrown into the world she imagines. 

In this world is Timothy who is under house arrest for a year in order to avoid time in a juvenile detention center for stealing a wallet. He committed this crime in order to help buy medicine for his little (literal) baby brother, Levi, who has a trach in order to breathe. 

This text is written as a journal for Timothy, and you feel like you are right inside his head with the thoughts that Holt provides. All Timothy has to do is prove that he is sorry for his crime and stay out of trouble. However, that’s hard to do when your father has abandoned your family and your mother has to work hard to provide for you and your sick brother. 

Therefore, what unfolds is a mix of hope and heartache and reality. You can’t help but root for Timothy because he loves his little brother so much, and you want to see him help his family. It’s a sweet story and, believe it or not, Timothy’s little brother Levi is the basis for another one of Holt’s texts, Knockout, and he is Tam’s bestfriend in Redwood and Ponytail. 

So if you are finding yourself with some time to spare, I strongly suggest picking up House Arrest via e-book, online audiobooks, or a bookseller (online!). It’s a true gem. 

Celebrations

The way this text is written is beautiful. Holt is marvelous with verse, and she really pushes the story along with her characters. I also found Timothy to be a very likeable and humorous character. I definitely giggled out loud many times. 

Hesitations

I honestly don’t feel like I have any hesitations. It was a great read!