{"product_id":"life-is-funny-9781481431644","title":"Life Is Funny","description":"\u003cb\u003eE. R. Frank's seminal first novel weaves together the stories of eleven teenagers in one city over seven years in this groundbreaking and \"impressive debut\" (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review).\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhy does Gingerbread always have a smile on his face? \"Because life is funny,\" he tells Keisha. But for her--and almost everyone else in her Brooklyn neighborhood--there doesn't seem to be much to laugh about. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eChina, Ebony, and Grace are best friends, but Grace's mother isn't crazy about her being friends with two girls who aren't white, and each cut Ebony makes on her wrist seems to drive them even further apart. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJust across the schoolyard there's Eric who has to raise his younger brother Mickey, even though no one expects him to amount to anything. Meanwhile, Sonia's Muslim parents expect \u003ci\u003eeverything\u003c\/i\u003e of her, and it may be more than she is able to give after she suffers a shattering loss. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhen Drew brings his father's Jaguar into Sam's family's auto body shop across town they seem to be from opposite sides of the tracks, but Drew's the one hiding a dark family secret. And he's not the only one.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Atheneum Books for Young Readers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/31\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781481431644\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.30h x 5.70w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eVoice of Youth Advocates\u003c\/i\u003e 10\/01\/2016 - Recommended - Better Than Most\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eHornbook Guide to Children\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2016 pg. 123 - Superior,Well Above Average\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAccelerated Reader Quiz #\/Name: \u003c\/b\u003e42964 \/ Life Is Funny\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReading Level:\u003c\/b\u003e 4.7 \/ \u003cb\u003eInterest Level:\u003c\/b\u003e Upper Grade \/ \u003cb\u003ePoint Value:\u003c\/b\u003e 8\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"E. R. Frank","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52239154053301,"sku":"9781481431644","price":15.29,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_8f71e33b-01ca-47a0-8cc7-80ffcc20f2a3.jpg?v=1770916993","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/life-is-funny-9781481431644","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}