ZIP CODE
ZIP CODE is my first Teen/YA book.
Inspired by a classmate of my younger brother, Supreme Court Justice of the United States, Sonia Sotomayor, my hope is this book will be used in the schools to encourage the people of this world to make it a better place~ and what better place to start than with our vibrant youth?
Many thanks to the school kids who helped with the writing of this book
What happens when two, poor disadvantaged kids from the Bronx trade places for their senior semester of high school with two kids from affluent Ridgewood, NJ? Although less than 20, physical miles separate them, their worlds, as they discover in a school sociology experiment, might as well be a million miles away. Racial profiling, cyber bullying, fat shaming, interracial dating, gangs, and cockroaches vs special privilege, gym memberships, and hopes and dreams are experienced by the students for the first time. This inspirational teen/ya book explores what one does to make the world a better place after walking a mile in another's shoes. Do those with privilege go back to their life changed and determined to help those less fortunate? Do those from DeWitt-Clinton in the Bronx not let their ZIP CODE determine their destiny like their fellow student before them, Ralph Lauren, didn't? Which path will youth today follow? A realistic, life-view of the struggles teens face today; a cross between The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and The Prince and the Pauper.
"I found this story very touching, especially since my profession is that of a public school teacher in Southern California where poverty and wealth run parallel like the San Andreas Fault Line. The basic lesson here is that people today, more than ever perhaps, tend to stereotype based upon race, religion and economic status. Zip Code, with the help of A.J., Logan, Semaj, and Rosa, help to poignantly address these issues and come to reasonable solutions. Without a doubt, we are all the same, we are all seeking the same things in life: love, respect and success. This book paints a beautiful description of what those solutions look like.
Zip Code would make a great addition to the Common Core Curriculum at any high school willing to take a chance on such a profound teaching tool."
Jim Hoffmann, Author
IF YOUR SCHOOL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN BEING CONSULTED ON THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF THE ZIP CODE KIDS, PLEASE FILL OUT THE FORM TO THE LEFT AND SUBMIT