Sold by Patricia McCormick

Grades 9 and up

Lakshmi tells her story in verse, and it is an ugly, sad story of oppression.  Lakshmi, at 13, is sold by her family in Nepal, and is brought to India’s “red light district.”  When a man shows up for her services, and Lakshmi realizes what she is supposed to do, she tries to fight it.  She understands,  as other girls cope with this life in whatever way they can.  Lakshmi is offered an out by someone she was told not to trust, but she is not really sure who to trust regardless.  She has already seen what happens to a girl who tries to run away, and must choose from a variety of risks.

This excellent story, told in poetry, is eye-opening and based on real accounts of the trafficking that occurs in India.