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Danny, King of the Basement
by David S. Craig

Danny King of the Basement tells the story of Danny 'Delco' Carter, the ‘king of moving’. In two years, he and his Mom, Louise, have moved 8 times because there’s never enough money to pay the rent. Far from losing hope, Danny makes friends by inspiring the kids around him to turn every challenge into a game. When Danny moves into a basement apartment on upscale Clinton Street, he finds his new friends may have more material things than he does, but they too have problems of their own. Penelope’s parents are separated and only talk to her on one of her two cell phones. Angelo’s Dad is as scary as a dinosaur when he’s mad – which is most of the time. But Danny’s imagination creates a sense of community that allows his friends to cope with their problems and ultimately to help Danny when he needs them the most!

THEMES

• Poverty & homelessness
• Challenging stereotypes
• Pressures on children resulting from adult issues & struggles
• Disruption from frequent moving
• Imagination & its healing power
• Friendship & Support

Photo Credit: Colin Doyle, Julian deZotti, Zarrin Darnell,Adrian Churchill, Miranda Edwards, Jennifer Raymer

Photo by Jona Stuart

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