photo courtesy of K. Reyes 2/2021
Bibliographic Information:
- Title: Jackpot All Bet$ Are Off
- Author: Nic Stone
- Publisher: Crown Books Publishing for Young Readers
- ISBN: 978-1-9848-2962-7
- Copyright Date: 2019
Genre [ Format]:
Reading Level/Interest Level:
- Realistic fiction, romance (RomCom) [Hardcover Book]
Reading Level/Interest Level:
- Grade 7-12; age range 14-18; Lexile level: 670L (Lexile.com, 2020).
Plot Summary:
Rico, a hardworking high school senior working at a convenience store/gas station, thinks she sold the winning lottery ticket to an elderly woman. When weeks pass and the ticket is not claimed, Rico enlists the help of Zan Macklin, a very rich classmate to whom she’s only said hello in passing. Zan is the heir to his self-made father’s business, a toilet paper company. The story follows the two as they help each other figure out how to find the elderly woman and get her to claim the winnings before the statute of limitation runs out.
Rico, a hardworking high school senior working at a convenience store/gas station, thinks she sold the winning lottery ticket to an elderly woman. When weeks pass and the ticket is not claimed, Rico enlists the help of Zan Macklin, a very rich classmate to whom she’s only said hello in passing. Zan is the heir to his self-made father’s business, a toilet paper company. The story follows the two as they help each other figure out how to find the elderly woman and get her to claim the winnings before the statute of limitation runs out.
Author Background:
Andrea Nicole Stone (Nic Stone) was born in Atlanta, Georgia in July 1985. She lived in Israel for several years and this is where her first child was born. This child is now seven (she has a second son who is three). She returned to the US where she eventually graduated with a degree in Psychology from Spelman College at the age of 28 (Corbett, 2019). She is very candid about the fact that it took her three attempts before graduating from a university.
Her first publication, Dear Martin, was a Morris Award finalist in 2017. Jackpot (2019) is her third YA novel. She has written ten novels to date. Her inspiration for writing began with Veronica Roth’s book Divergent where there is a black character who survives all the way to the end of the story. The interview below conducted by the Austin Public Library puppet adds more info about Stone including that her favorite color is orange, she started writing six years ago and has two sons (2019).
Andrea Nicole Stone (Nic Stone) was born in Atlanta, Georgia in July 1985. She lived in Israel for several years and this is where her first child was born. This child is now seven (she has a second son who is three). She returned to the US where she eventually graduated with a degree in Psychology from Spelman College at the age of 28 (Corbett, 2019). She is very candid about the fact that it took her three attempts before graduating from a university.
Her first publication, Dear Martin, was a Morris Award finalist in 2017. Jackpot (2019) is her third YA novel. She has written ten novels to date. Her inspiration for writing began with Veronica Roth’s book Divergent where there is a black character who survives all the way to the end of the story. The interview below conducted by the Austin Public Library puppet adds more info about Stone including that her favorite color is orange, she started writing six years ago and has two sons (2019).
Critical Evaluation for Books and Non-Print Items:
This story is very relatable for many of the students I know, hard-working students who support their families because their parents’ incomes do not sufficiently cover basic living expenses. Rico is so practical -- she is practically the parent, she creates the budget so they save money on food. The mom is too proud and refuses to apply for food stamps or get any kind of federal assistance. Rico's brother is sickly but because they have no insurance, she is left to figure out how to get her brother treated while her mother works tirelessly to pay for bills.
The characters are so real and so lovable with their quirks and their flaws. Inanimate objects have personalities as well as they also narrate their experiences in first person. Ex. “A word for Zan’s Fidget Spinner” and “A word from a Waffle House Saltshaker," and “Another word from the right ticket.” She credits AS King, a popular contemporary YA writer, for inspiring her to do this in this novel.
This is a book I wouldn’t have picked up because the cover is so unappealing but I wanted to read something by Nic Stone and I’m glad I did because this was just the light and funny caper I needed to get me through winter. Stone was able to discuss the rich/poor, black/white, divide with humor that I think she ought to be a diplomat when she decides to stop writing.
This story is very relatable for many of the students I know, hard-working students who support their families because their parents’ incomes do not sufficiently cover basic living expenses. Rico is so practical -- she is practically the parent, she creates the budget so they save money on food. The mom is too proud and refuses to apply for food stamps or get any kind of federal assistance. Rico's brother is sickly but because they have no insurance, she is left to figure out how to get her brother treated while her mother works tirelessly to pay for bills.
The characters are so real and so lovable with their quirks and their flaws. Inanimate objects have personalities as well as they also narrate their experiences in first person. Ex. “A word for Zan’s Fidget Spinner” and “A word from a Waffle House Saltshaker," and “Another word from the right ticket.” She credits AS King, a popular contemporary YA writer, for inspiring her to do this in this novel.
This is a book I wouldn’t have picked up because the cover is so unappealing but I wanted to read something by Nic Stone and I’m glad I did because this was just the light and funny caper I needed to get me through winter. Stone was able to discuss the rich/poor, black/white, divide with humor that I think she ought to be a diplomat when she decides to stop writing.
Creative Use for a Library Program:
A writing assignment from the perspective of inanimate objects would be so fun. Maybe have students label the parts of the library with little stories connected to the inanimate objects including the circulation desk, the art display wall, the bookshelves (certain book shelves have stories specific to them). There are also several plants in the library and they would benefit from some fun and creative storytelling background where students can intersperse the plant’s scientific information with a story that goes with it.
A writing assignment from the perspective of inanimate objects would be so fun. Maybe have students label the parts of the library with little stories connected to the inanimate objects including the circulation desk, the art display wall, the bookshelves (certain book shelves have stories specific to them). There are also several plants in the library and they would benefit from some fun and creative storytelling background where students can intersperse the plant’s scientific information with a story that goes with it.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer:
Rico knows she sold the winning lottery ticket during her shift at the Gas n Go, and she is determined to find the winner and she’s convinced she knows it is. But she’ll need Zan, heir to the great toilet paper company, to help her hack through the store’s computer system and grab the necessary information. And Zan, who is secretly attracted to Rico, agrees to help. What will happen when they finally find the bearer of the winning ticket? Find out what problems this solves or causes instead.
Rico knows she sold the winning lottery ticket during her shift at the Gas n Go, and she is determined to find the winner and she’s convinced she knows it is. But she’ll need Zan, heir to the great toilet paper company, to help her hack through the store’s computer system and grab the necessary information. And Zan, who is secretly attracted to Rico, agrees to help. What will happen when they finally find the bearer of the winning ticket? Find out what problems this solves or causes instead.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation:
Interracial relationships, mentions sex, and contains the word “orgasm” (chapter 33) which should not be a negative but any reference to sex makes certain segments of society shudder. Besides this, the book is fairly innocuous even though it deals with deeper social issues such as race relations and socio-economic disparities and economic inequities that threaten to ruin friendships. This book is worth reading for the value in seeing Black characters as people and not as victims or stereotypes. Stone will be the first to tell you that literature that reflects her experience as a Black person is so limited and often the characters’ experiences are so narrow that we need books like this to expand our mental images and understanding of the “other” (Peterson, 2019).
Reason for Inclusion:
I needed a light-hearted read that didn’t involve death, dying, and magic. This realistic fiction fit that bill.
Interracial relationships, mentions sex, and contains the word “orgasm” (chapter 33) which should not be a negative but any reference to sex makes certain segments of society shudder. Besides this, the book is fairly innocuous even though it deals with deeper social issues such as race relations and socio-economic disparities and economic inequities that threaten to ruin friendships. This book is worth reading for the value in seeing Black characters as people and not as victims or stereotypes. Stone will be the first to tell you that literature that reflects her experience as a Black person is so limited and often the characters’ experiences are so narrow that we need books like this to expand our mental images and understanding of the “other” (Peterson, 2019).
Reason for Inclusion:
I needed a light-hearted read that didn’t involve death, dying, and magic. This realistic fiction fit that bill.
A fun interview with Nic Stone. Get to know a bit about Nic Stone here:
REFERENCES
Austin Public Library. (2019, June 20). Nic Stone [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xlBQ1dGy6Ac
Corbett, S. (2019, July 19). Nic Stone: A different sort of jackpot. PublishersWeekly.com. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/80732-nic-stone-a-different-sort-of-jackpot.html
Lexile.com. (2020, September 18). Find books at the right level. Lexile Framework for Reading. https://hub.lexile.com/find-a-book/book-details/9781984829627
Peterson, E. (2019, April 20). A conversation with author Nic Stone [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/n4gzwQ8OyI4
Stone, N., (2021). Jackpot. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=66130.
Corbett, S. (2019, July 19). Nic Stone: A different sort of jackpot. PublishersWeekly.com. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/80732-nic-stone-a-different-sort-of-jackpot.html
Lexile.com. (2020, September 18). Find books at the right level. Lexile Framework for Reading. https://hub.lexile.com/find-a-book/book-details/9781984829627
Peterson, E. (2019, April 20). A conversation with author Nic Stone [Video file]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/n4gzwQ8OyI4
Stone, N., (2021). Jackpot. TeachingBooks. https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=66130.
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