Sydney

Sydney is a 15-year-old sophomore who finds herself pregnant, and her boyfriend of four years, Mark, is nowhere to be found. While her world explodes around her, she discovers the people in her life are less than supportive. Her best friend, Emily Hawkins, is more concerned with how Sydney's pregnancy will affect Emily's relationship with her mother than how it is going to change Sydney's life. When Sydney and her mother go to a clinic to discuss Sydney's options, there is one option she will not even consider. She is sure Mark will come to his senses and do the "right thing." Mark has other ideas as to what the right thing is.
Sydney is told from the point of view of Emily and Sydney. Emily's strict and uptight mother isn't so perfect after all. As the story unfolds, the skeletons come out of the Hawkins' family closet.

Laurie Hooker-Davison earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Eastern Illinois University. She teaches at-risk youth for an alternative education program in Illinois. She went into teaching hoping to make a difference in the lives of her students with offerings of Shakespeare, Milton, and the great American novelists. Instead she found herself teaching sex ed., abstinence classes, character education, and, of course, English. Having the courage to reach her students on their level was the biggest challenge for her in the beginning of her teaching career 14 years ago, but a challenge she accepted; therefore, she learned more from her students than they learned from her. She understands their hopes and dreams because her biggest dream growing up was to become a songwriter. However, she became a teacher in order to spend time with her two children during the summer months when they were out of school. She put aside her goal of earning a living by writing and focused on paying the bills and raising her kids.