17 and All Alone
One day Jerrick Blue's aunt went to the store and never returned. And with that, 17-year-old Jerrick was all alone with no family to help him and no place to call his own. In
"One Thin Thread," Brady Dennis of the
St. Petersburg Times tells the story of Jerrick and Arlene Gray, the teacher who befriended him and gave him hope. Dennis uses rich details and his own strong writer's voice, rather than a lot of quotes, to keep this powerful narrative moving. Photographer
Chris Zuppa's accompanying slideshow shares the story using Jerrick's and Arlene's voices.