SHIFTY is Now Out in Paperback!

Please take a look at the new cover. You can read the press release and check out the new cover here: http://bit.ly/ShiftyPressRelease
Of course, the original hardcover is still available, too.

Reviews & Good News for SHIFTY:

SHIFTY is being published in Australia by Allen & Unwin

And in the UK by Frances Lincoln


VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) "Top Shelf Fiction" for Middle School Readers

...Christina (8th Grade) would "recommend it to all my friends. Shifty has all the appeal that readers, reluctant and avid, would need—beautiful characters you can relate to, a passionate and expertly crafted story, an exciting plot, and a touching yet unanticipated conclusion. Nothing is idealized; nothing is too ugly. Readers will love it beginning to end." --VOYA, February 2009

SHIFTY Chosen as a Smithsonian Notable Book 2008!

KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Nicknamed Shifty, Soli has had to use his survival skills for so long that he has a hard time leaving the streets behind when he lands in his new foster family. When he is confronted with the realization that his new foster mother actually trusts him, he has to decide whether to take advantage of her ... Soli's good intentions are thwarted by both his own poor judgment and external trials. This combination of personal flaws and situational difficulties create a realistic story that resonates. Smart writing and an engaging narrative keep the story fresh, while an interesting plot will keep readers turning the pages.
(Fiction. 12 & up)" --KIRKUS REVIEWS, August 15, 2008

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

"...the characters have warmth, and readers will feel empathy for this makeshift family."
--SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (Reviewed by Nichole King)

SHELF AWARENESS

"Soli, aka 'Shifty,' survives by his wits. His 15-year-old narrator's voice will carry readers through this chronicle of four days in the lives of his San Francisco foster family ... Hazen (Mermaid Mary Margaret) creates fully formed characters here, and through Soli's narration, the audience witnesses firsthand his resourcefulness and rationalizations ... when a cop starts to issue a ticket, he conveniently finds an elderly lady in the shop whom he calls 'Mama' and who happily accepts a lift. Soli is out of a jam. Or is he? Hazen has a gift for turning humor into poignant situations devoid of sentiment ... the realistic relationships between the four foster family members, their ability to believe in each other in a world where each of them has already had more than their share of bad breaks and Soli's survivor-humor make these characters memorable."
-- SHELF AWARENESS (Jennifer M. Brown)

Alison McGhee

"In deceptively straightforward prose, author Lynn Hazen brings Shifty's San Francisco world to life on the page. Original, telling details, a compassionate eye, and Hazen's intuitive understanding of how love and trust can save us make SHIFTY a book to treasure."
--Alison McGhee, Author of several novels and picture books, including #1 New York Times bestseller SOMEDAY

TEENS READ TOO

"... Written with heart and compassion, SHIFTY is a fun and fast-paced read. Readers will be rooting for Soli from page one, indignant at the judgmental people he is forced to put up with and sympathetic to the hardships that he is forced to endure. Lynn E. Hazen reveals a world that most readers could never have imagined, and Soli is an optimistic and courageous character that readers will identify with..."
--TEENS READ TOO (Reviewed by: Amber Gibson) Rating: 5 Stars

ReadPlus ( Australia)

"...An engrossing and heart warming story; this book draws the reader in from the first page. Shifty tells his story in his own words, which are often humorous and heart-rending and he makes the characters in this tale come alive..." Read Plus (Australia)

More Praise for SHIFTY:

"Witty, fast, makes you think."
-- Sam, 16.

Buy SHIFTY at Amazon