Shark Teeth (juvenile fiction)

"I'd ache from not knowing what the rest of the day would bring. I hated the feeling of not knowing what would happen next. It felt like that ride at the carnival that went around and around, speeding up until it threw you up against the wall and the floor fell away.
Yeah, with Mama, I never knew when the floor would fall right out from under us."
Kita (Sharkita), 12, protagonist of Sherri Winston's Shark Teeth,has just been reunited with her mother, her special needs brother, Lamar, 8, and sister, Lilli, 5, after a period of the kids staying in separate foster homes. Their mother, Brittany, who had become a parent much too early, has a habit of often chasing after the fun she felt cheated out of, making terrible decisions, and leaving Kita in charge of the house and her siblings. When she had been absent and out of touch nine days Kita had to call 911 for a medical emergency.
"I should have been grateful. Our little family was whole again. We'd spent several weeks torn apart—the worst weeks of my life. Even so, in that moment standing beside Mama, I didn't feel grateful. I felt frightened."
It's not the family's first close encounter of the children's protective services kind. In fact this is a last chance to retain custody for Brittany. Kita has mixed loyalties. If Brittany doesn't screw up the family will stay together. But if she does the kids may get the stability that's been missing in their lives.
Due to factors such as the opiate addiction crisis many kids are forced to not only take on adult responsibilities before hitting puberty, but to protect parent(s)' from the consequences of their actions. Kita is her mother's ride or die. That's why Shark Teeth is so important. This engaging and evocative narrative can hopefully empower kids in similar situations to reach out for help.
On a purrrsonal note, quite awhile ago when my kids were very young we had an 11-year-old neighbor who often came up to chat with me. She had a single mom and two special needs younger siblings. She was fascinated by my kids, always wanting to know what they were up to, always telling me what a good mother I was. Then one night she told me the truth about her situation which was uncannily like Kita's. I didn't have to think long about what to do. She had told me what she had without once asking me not to tell anyone. I guess she'd been ready to get off the carnival ride. I saw her a couple of years later on the City Bus. She looked so healthy and happy. She told me that she could finally be a kid. Her sister and brother were also adopted into stable homes and doing well.
A great big shout goes out to this girl who is now a woman. Reading Shark Teeth made me realize how much courage it took for her to reach out to a neighbor and share her story. I hope she is living her best life.
Jules Hathaway