The King of Jam Sandwiches is a very personal book. There are few books for children that present the realities of growing up in poverty so authentically. Your novel is about survival and also about hope. What brings you hope?
My wife, my kids, my grandkids. Youâve got to have a sense of hope. Iâm relentlessly optimistic, even when I shouldnât be. This book is so much a part of who I am. Just like the main character Robbie, I really believed that if I got up earlier than everybody every single day and worked harder and longer than everybody else, then I could get somewhere. Thatâs been my ongoing life passage. And I always knew everything was going to work out, and I believe that continually. Whatâs that saying â if you havenât reached a happy ending, itâs obviously not the ending. We just keep moving forward.
Posted: Apr 06, 2021 10:00 AM ET | Last Updated: April 13
Caris Simmons, 17, is one of 10 finalists in the Grades 10 to 12 category of The First Page student writing challenge.(Submitted by Caris Simmons)
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