Sold

McCormick, A. (2006). Sold. New York, NY: Hyperion Books

Appropriate grade levels:

9-12. The content of this book is inappropriate for middle school. Although the main character is only 13 years old, the sexual content of this book could be jarring for middle school students. Some middle school students would be emotionally mature enough to handle this book, however. The reading level is very appropriate for high school independent reading which is why I think this novel is best for high school students.

Summary:

Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl living in a poor village in the Himalayan mountains. Her stepfather sells her to a woman, thinking that she will be his maid. His family is desperate. Unfortunately she is sold into the sex trade industry and brought to a brothel in India. In India she faces her worst fears and nightmares, makes surprising friends, and learns to survive. The poetic structure of this novel is an excellent way to tell this deeply troubling tale that is unfortunately a reality for many girls around the world.

Classroom Use:

- Independent reading or as a choice in literature circles (make a choice, this topic is sensitive and not everyone will feel comfortable reading it.)

- Writing connection: students could research and write letters to organizations that help combat child sex trafficking.

- Writing connection: Pod Cast. Most students don't realize child sex trafficking exists until reading this book and many students may want to raise awareness. Students could write a short piece explaining to other teens the realities of child sex trafficking and what is happening around the world. They can plead for help and then create a podcast or video of their piece to help raise awareness.

- Reading strategies: Making connections, summarizing, and making predictions. Reciprocal Teaching method of predicting, asking questions, clarifying, and discussing predictions would work perfectly with this novel.

- Literature analysis: Discuss the use of figurative language: similes, metaphors, alliteration, imagery, sensory stimulation, symbolism. The poetic language of this book is a perfect medium for helping students gain comfort analyzing figurative language.

Reader’s Response:

Sold is a heartbreaking novel that haunts your thoughts long after you read it. Teens will be drawn in to the shock value of Lakshmi's experiences in the brothel in India. Students will connect with Lakshmi's difficult family situation in Nepal prior to her time in India. Students will be saddened as Lakshmi is beaten and starved until she stops refusing (or can no longer physically refuse) to do her job in the brothel. Lakshmi will touch the lives of students in a way that will make some want to stop reading and others engaged in the horrors that surround the life of children sold into the sex industry.

Hope is an important theme in this novel. Lakshmi is able to survive on her hope that she will pay Mumtaz back and be free someday. When the drunk, Shilpa, dashes this hope with reality, Lakshmi wants to give up. The (nice) American man gives her that hope again. Lakshmi needs hope in order to survive. Lakshmi finds hope in interesting places throughout this poetically written novel. "[Harish] hands me a pencil. It is shiny yellow and it smells of lead and rubber. And possibility... A tear is running down my cheek... I have been beaten, locked away, violated a hundred times and a hundred times more... How odd is it that I am undone by the simple kindness of a small boy with a yellow pencil" (182). Harish's friendship brings Lakshmi much hope throughout the novel. Hope is an essential human survival necessity and many connections can be made to student's lives and themes of hope in other novels.

Friendship is another important theme in this novel. Lakshmi's struggles bring her some interesting friends. Harish, the "David Beckham boy", as mentioned above helps teach Lakshmi to read. In return Lakshmi gives him her soccer ball made out of rags. Monica, who has a terrible temper and is a little "risque", even becomes friends with Lakshmi as they shared stories about how they are helping their families at home. Shahanna is Lakshmi's first friend at the brothel, the only kindness in Lakshmi's first days of her new nightmare.

Coping with pain is a topic throughout this novel. Lakshmi learns from the other girls who find ways to "pretend" to have happiness, such as have babies even though this means they will be forever endebted to the brother owner, Mumtaz. A cup of tea, a sweet, favorite American soap operas, memories from home, dreams of going home, and thoughts of how they are helping their families all help the girls survive the day to day horrors of growing up in the sex trade industry.

A little extra:

While reading, I imagined some of the girls I met in India and Nepal. This young girl followed me around a small, Himalayan village on the border of Tibet. When I first picked up Sold, I thought of her. When Lakshimi described her village memories of this village came to mind.

Her village:

I was also reminded of some of the children I met in India. This girl and boy followed me all over Jaipur and her smiling spirit reminded me of Lakshmi's strength.

Check out clips from CNN's special on Nepal's Stolen Children with Demi Moore.