168:. It soon becomes the home he has never known. He collects used newspapers off passing trains and makes a living selling them. He has two regular customers: the cleaning lady, and a man with a turban. A major theme throughout the book is Slake's low self-esteem and lack of experiences with empathy, which are dealt with throughout the course of the book.
171:
With the money that he gets from doing this, he buys food from the local diner, and soon becomes a regular customer. The people at the luncheonette see him there every day and have sympathy for this homeless boy. They offer him a sweeping job and pay him with food sufficient to meet his needs. Also,
182:
At the climax of the book, Willis Joe meets Slake and their paths coincide due to a railway accident that was thought to have been caused by holes in the subway walls. Terrified, Slake scrambles on the subway track because he has pneumonia and needs help, because his home was doomed to be sealed up
186:
When Slake awakes in a hospital, he decides to flee for the rooftops. He sees his symbolic bird fly away, ending a miserable period in his life and signifying depression. He then departs with renewed hopes and purposes.
178:
Willis Joe is a middle-class motor man who also has an internal dilemma. He conducts trains with the depressing mindset that people are like sheep, lacking the empathy essential for psychological health.
183:
due to repairs needed in the subway. He scrambles onto the track with a sign that says STOP and Willis Joe saves him, stopping the train with a determination he had not experienced for years.
165:
338:
172:
whatever he finds on the floor he gets to keep, so Slake eventually has quite a collection of various items he's organized and used to decorate his cave.
205:
333:
328:
175:
There are also occasionally sections of the book entitled "On
Another Track", about the parallel life of a man named Willis Joe Whinny.
27:
104:
343:
323:
138:
134:
250:
130:
307:
122:
118:
40:
228:
99:
240:
The
Children's Literature Research Collections, University of Minnesota: Felice Holman Papers
142:
239:
66:
317:
26:
153:
282:
262:
126:
137:
and stays for 121 days. The novel has received several honors, including a
267:
206:"Slake's Limbo; A boy hiding, a father lost, a handicap to overcome"
145:
citation in 1978, and a Horn Book
Fanfare Best Book Award in 1975.
303:
164:
Aremis Slake lives in a room underground in the subway station
148:
The story was later adapted into a 1989 television film titled
285:. Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site (carolhurst.com)
129:
boy, Aremis Slake, who runs away from home to live in the
125:, first published in 1974. The book is about a young
98:
90:
82:
72:
62:
54:
46:
36:
8:
19:
25:
18:
141:best book for young adults citation, an
196:
204:Berkvist, Robert (November 17, 1974).
339:Works set on the New York City Subway
310:, with 29 library catalog records
7:
14:
251:Library Thing: Horn Book Fanfare
16:American novel by Felice Holman.
1:
334:Novels set in New York City
329:American young adult novels
166:Grand Central – 42nd Street
360:
139:Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
135:IRT Lexington Avenue Line
24:
344:Atheneum Books books
324:1974 American novels
131:New York City Subway
308:Library of Congress
281:Hurst, Carol Otis.
31:First edition cover
21:
210:The New York Times
110:
109:
83:Publication place
351:
293:
291:
290:
273:
272:
259:
253:
248:
242:
237:
231:
226:
220:
219:
217:
216:
201:
143:ALA Notable Book
78:1 September 1974
74:Publication date
29:
22:
359:
358:
354:
353:
352:
350:
349:
348:
314:
313:
300:
288:
286:
283:"Slake's Limbo"
280:
277:
276:
261:
260:
256:
249:
245:
238:
234:
227:
223:
214:
212:
203:
202:
198:
193:
162:
133:tunnels of the
117:is a novel for
91:Media type
75:
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
357:
355:
347:
346:
341:
336:
331:
326:
316:
315:
312:
311:
299:
298:External links
296:
295:
294:
275:
274:
254:
243:
232:
221:
195:
194:
192:
189:
161:
158:
108:
107:
102:
96:
95:
92:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
76:
73:
70:
69:
67:Atheneum Books
64:
60:
59:
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
38:
34:
33:
30:
20:Slake's Limbo
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
356:
345:
342:
340:
337:
335:
332:
330:
327:
325:
322:
321:
319:
309:
305:
304:Felice Holman
302:
301:
297:
284:
279:
278:
270:
269:
264:
258:
255:
252:
247:
244:
241:
236:
233:
230:
229:Amazon review
225:
222:
211:
207:
200:
197:
190:
188:
184:
180:
176:
173:
169:
167:
159:
157:
155:
151:
146:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
123:Felice Holman
120:
116:
115:
114:Slake's Limbo
106:
105:0-684-13926-X
103:
101:
97:
93:
89:
86:United States
85:
81:
77:
71:
68:
65:
61:
57:
53:
49:
45:
42:
41:Felice Holman
39:
35:
28:
23:
287:. Retrieved
266:
257:
246:
235:
224:
213:. Retrieved
209:
199:
185:
181:
177:
174:
170:
163:
149:
147:
119:young adults
113:
112:
111:
263:"- YouTube"
154:Jasmine Guy
58:Young adult
318:Categories
289:2009-04-08
215:2009-04-08
191:References
127:adolescent
152:starring
63:Publisher
47:Language
268:YouTube
150:Runaway
50:English
37:Author
94:Print
55:Genre
160:Plot
100:ISBN
306:at
121:by
320::
265:.
208:.
156:.
292:.
271:.
218:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.