Everything you need to understand or teach Gypsy Davey by Chris Lynch.
Notable for its grim realism, this character study of a mentally handicapped boy and his dysfunctional family is a rarity in young adult fiction—a book that offers nearly no hope for its characters. The novel charts Davey's development from his neglected childhood to the age of twelve in a non-naturing family and is distinguished by its detail-filled writing, believably depicted characters, and unusual structure in which an omniscient, detached perspective is...