Guided Response- Girl Bomb

• Discuss your ideas about the main character(s). Is the character worthy of praise or criticism? Why?

      This book is set in the 1980's. It is about a young teenager who has no place to live. She chooses to go to a homeless shelter and endures a lot of pain and loneliness there.  Her name is Janice Erlbaum. In my opinion, so far, she deserves praise. I am only on chapter 4 and i feel bad for her. Her mother is constintaly choosing random men over her. Janice only wants attention and love from her mother. And that is what every good teenage girl wants.  Janice loved her mother and just wanted it to be them, without all the drama of men. I do not think Janice deserves to be criticized. So far, she has done nothing wrong. She wants to still go to school and is waiting for the nuns to find her a home. At Janice's shelter, she is already going through a lot. She is fighting for her life. There are many young girls there who have a lot of problems. Janice has fought off tons of girls and cannot even take her shoes off, without someone trying to steal them. She has been called nasty names, but has no where else to go. Janice should be praised right now. I know that eventually my mind will change, but so far so good. I really feel bad for her. She is so young and is already going through so much! I hope that she will find a family soon and will be able to start up school again.