Sixteen-year-old Mattie Rollins has her life all figured out. She’ll ace her high school classes, earn a college scholarship, and create a new life for herself and her family. But Mattie’s brilliant plans begin to crumble when her family is forced to move into their beat-up station wagon, Ruby. Then, her mother mysteriously disappears.
With life against her at every turn and fewer options every day, Mattie must learn how to live—not just survive—in these circumstances while racing to discover the truth behind their mother’s disappearance. Mattie will have to find the strength to keep searching for her mother and to keep her dreams alive before they both slip away forever.
Praise
“Sleeping in My Jeans is an enlightening teen read; its serious issues and compelling story make it impossible to forget.” —Foreword Magazine starred review
“This stark look at the problems of one vulnerable family drives home how difficult life can be for young people on the street.” —Kirkus Reviews
“[Leonard’s] first-person, present-tense narrative is compelling and vivid, and her compassionate characterization is remarkable.” —Booklist
“Page after page of unforgettable characters and a sobering, heartfelt look at the . . . sudden onset of childhood homelessness.” —Brenda Woods, author of The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond and The Red Rose Box
Sleeping in My Jeans is a tender, compassionate portrayal of a family in crisis.” —Scott Nadelson, author of Between You and Me
Sleeping in My Jeans captures the innocent, insightful lyricism of adolescence.” —Karelia Stetz-Waters, author of Forgive Me if I’ve Told You This Before
“If you’ve ever wondered why people live on the street, Connie King Leonard can show you how easy it is to get there — and how difficult it can be to get back home.” —D.K. Greene
“A tense, thrilling roller coaster ride of despair and hope. The dichotomy of emergent love and family secrets, of danger and perseverance . . . a gorgeous exploration of the many facets of being human, and it finishes with a stomach-clenching twist so unexpected it leaves you breathless.” —Estelle Laure
About the Author
Connie King Leonard is a writer of books for children and teens. Having taught middle school and high school, her experiences witnessing the effects of teenage homelessness provided the inspiration for Sleeping in My Jeans.Connie holds degrees in education from Minot State University and the University of Oregon. Living for many years in Eugene, Oregon, she currently lives in Milwaukie, Oregon with her husband. She is a member of SCBWI as well as Willamette Writers, and in 2008, won the Kay Snow award for children’s writing with, Too Much Glue, Gertie.
Launch Event
We’re thrilled to announce our launch event! We will be celebrating the launch of Sleeping in My Jeans at Oregon Public House on November 17th from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. The proceeds from food, drink, and raffle ticket sales will benefit Food for Families, a local non-profit mobile food pantry. We will also be hosting an onsite food drive to benefit Food for Families, so bring a non-perishable food item to earn an extra raffle ticket and chance to win one of the amazing prizes from some of our local sponsors. So, mark your calendars and we’ll see you there!
Teacher’s Guide
Here you will find a comprehensive teaching unit designed to make bringing Sleeping in My Jeans into your classroom easy. Material includes: discussion questions, discussion ideas, research prompts, and other activities.
Donation Drive
Donation drives are invaluable in helping our communities to thrive together. Join Ooligan Press in our donation efforts by organizing your own drive with the help of this how-to guide and posters. If you have any specific questions, be sure to contact either Ooligan Press or the local charity you are planning to work with directly.
Sleeping in My Jeans
Start to Finish
Sleeping in My Jeans Changes Hands - Spring term is the time for new managers, and what's interesting is that each new project manager will be taking on a project in a different stage from all of the other book projects. On the Sleeping in My Jeans team, new project manager Monique Vieu will be taking the helm just as our marketing strategy really kicks in.