The Five Pearls

The Five Pearls belongs on the bookshelf next to The Outsiders, Holes, Catcher in the Rye, and To Sir With Love. A perfect read for teenagers and parents alike. Barry James Hickey's engagingly cinematic writing will make you laugh, cry and ponder. No child left behind in today's American education system? There are five this time. Hickey has created a truly memorable story with distinct characters carved from everyday life where everyone has a secret. With the help of a retired nurse, a dying man with a new identity, a terrible past and a hidden agenda changes the hearts, minds, and character of The Tadpoles; five angry, stubborn students forced into an after-school program. Barry James Hickey's world of disconnected quirky characters destroys the myth of the American melting pot and turns it into a salad bowl of mixed races growing up together with surprising and uplifting results. The Five Pearls leaves you begging for the story not to end.