How does the setting of your book relate to the mood of the story?

This story is placed in the alley ways, streets and subway because Dana (the main character of the story) has left home with no money of place to live. These places are dirty and is a place for homeless people. It tells you that Dana is in a situation of being homeless. The settings got me to make a prediction about the future of the the story. You do not know the story but the settings can give you a clue. This book has a very interesting story. With an interesting story you get an interesting mood. The book has a very fantasy and adventurous mood because Dana is moving herself around her city having no where to stay for the long term. It's like an adventure of finding places to live but at the same time you know it wont happen to you because it feels unrealistic.

How does the title relate to the story?

The title of this book is called "Sketches" because in the story Dana has no money or home but recently her graffiti on the wall has been discovered and she now is being paid to make sketches. The book revolves around the life of Dana and an important part of her life is her sketches. Noticing the books story line the part about sketches is near the middle. I have realized most authors do this and i can see that Eric Walters is one of these authors as well. ( )

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

SKETCHES is about three teens living on the streets. Dana, Brent, and Ashley each have their own personal demons. Those demons drove them away from their families and onto the city streets.

Sexual abuse at the hands of her mother's second husband caused Dana to begin acting out in school and at home. When her mother didn't pick up on the clues, Dana decided the only answer was to leave. Fortunately, Brent and Ashley, experienced street kids, were there to pick up the pieces. Brent has issues that forced him to leave home hoping to find some answers, and Ashley's mother, an exotic dancer, acted more like a sister than a mother. Together these three panhandle and squeegee car windows, hoping to earn enough money to eat and occasionally sleep somewhere with shower facilities.

Things begin to look up when Dana stumbles across a place called Sketches. It is an organization with the goal of providing a creative outlet for street kids. Dana's artistic talents shine through some random graffiti work, and she is noticed by one of the counselors at Sketches. The place offers food and good, solid advice, as well as art supplies and a safe place to create. Once Dana and her two friends get involved at Sketches, they see the possibility of improving their lives.

Rich with details about life on the streets, SKETCHES is an emotional story of desperate kids taking action to regain control of their shattered lives. Eric Walters includes both the harsh reality of homeless living and just the right amount of hope to make SKETCHES a book that will speak to teens everywhere. ( )

This is an emotional, gripping novel by Eric Walters that really opens your eyes. What's really interesting is that this book is based on Sketch, the really art drop in centre in Toronto. Kids and teenagers who are homeless can go there for help and to do art. This book is based on that and it is very interesting!
Eric Walters - yet again - does a great job on the book. That's all I can say. It was great! ( )

Dana, Ashley and Brent are three runaways who have become a street family. They find various means of getting money including begging for change by pretending to need money to get home, selling newspapers they liberated from a newspaper box, being a squeegee kid and decorating a sidewalk. They sleep in a variety of places including a cheap motel, an abandoned building, a clothing drop box, and Tent town. The climax seemed weak. The characters never seem as miserable as I would expect. In the end, the reader is supposed to believe that the scars on her arms plus her art work, allows Nicki to pull it all together and deduce that Dana's little sister might be abused. Dana's stepfather is arrested. A bit too perfect. ( )

Yet again Eric Wlter proves that he is the best at his game. This is a moving book about a girl who has runaway from her family for personal reasons. Its sad how she is forced to live but it is such a good book that its hard to put it down and escape from the truth of it. Highly recommended. ( )