Cages--Peg Kehret

Submitted By: Marva Navarrete
School: South Sioux Middle School
Grade: 8
Title: Cages
Author: Peg Kehret
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
Lost in Self pity, 14-year-old Kit Hathaway pockets an expensive gold bracelet. She is arrested for shoplifting and sentenced by a juvenile court committee. Assigned twenty hours at the humane society, she falls in love with a terrier named Lady. Kit's shame and humiliation increases as she lies to keep the incident secret. Even from her best friend Tracy.

Kit tries to cope with her binge-drinking stepfather and her in denial mother. She is determined to free herself from the cages of alcohol enablement, jealousy, and incipient child abuse. With the help of a new friend, Kit realizes the key to her own cage is right in her own hand. I can relate to Kit in some ways. She helped me realize what I can do to free myself.

This is an exciting book especially when Kit is arrested. Later she discovers that her final exam in speech is to be an oral report on shoplifting. "This moment is passing..." Kit's speech teacher reminds her as she stands before her class. As Kit ponders the challenge she decides to reveal what she has done.
Kehret, the author, shows emotional happenings of teen shoplifting. Kehret lives with her husband, Carl, near Redmond, Washington. When Peg was twelve years old she was paralyzed neck down. Because of that she tends to write about third to eighth graders.

Peg has written over thirty books each winning an award. "An animal lover and Humane Society volunteer, Peg also likes to read." This is a fantastic book for young teen girls. Mostly girls who are struggling with issues at home, alcoholism, and just parents in general.