But do yourself a favor and LISTEN to this book. After you listen to this (especially the author's notes at the end about how the art was created), you'll probably want a copy of the print edition too. I'm going to get a copy of the print edition now just to see the artwork. It was healing for me in ways I can't even articulate. Especially if you grew up in a house where any sort of addiction (and chaos around that) was present. Although the book was a finalist in the 2018 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, don't let that fool you. And I downright cried when it was over because I didn’t want it to end. I belly ached laughed at times and teared up at others. This is one of the most moving audio books I’ve ever listened to.

I drove an extra 5 miles on my way home from work just to finish every last word. Hey, Kiddo is a profoundly important memoir about growing up in a family grappling with addiction and finding the art that helps you survive. Only as a teenager can Jarrett begin to piece together the truth of his family, reckoning with his mother and tracking down his father. Jarrett goes through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible, finding a way to express himself through drawing even as so little is being said to him about what's going on. Jarrett lives with his grandparents - two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along. His father is a mystery - Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. The powerful, unforgettable memoir from Jarrett Krosoczka, about growing up with a drug-addicted mother, a missing father, and two unforgettably opinionated grandparents.

Winner of both the American Library Association’s 2020 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production and the 2020 Audie Award for Young Adult!

Jarrett j krosoczka hey kiddo