Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier

My name is Charlie, and I am not a human bean; I'm made from chimney soot. I've been with Nan ever since the Sweep disappeared six years ago. I used to stay in her pocket, keeping her warm, but something changed when she called for help. After saving her life, I started to move and learned to talk. Nan has left her cruel boss and is sweeping chimneys on her own, and I'm getting too big to help. The man will be very angry if he discovers she's still alive, so we're hiding in an abandoned house. I like it here, and I've made a new friend named Dent. I've changed a room into a garden to make him happy. Nan knows she can't sweep forever, but she's worried about the other sweeps too. Kids die from fire, falls, and disease, and no one seems to care. 

This book was a finalist for a 2018 Cybils Book Award. At times, it described a simple story about a girl and her monster friend, but then it addressed important topics of child labor, death, and personal empowerment. Nan decided to take control of her life and was determined to help other characters who couldn't help themselves. The narrator's voice was almost poetic, and it included verses and song lyrics. It periodically shared italicized chapters about Nan's past, special relationship with the Sweep. He was her guardian, mentor, and friend, and early on, it wasn't clear where he had gone. Charlie obviously had a connection to the Sweep, and he said he had a message to share. However, he couldn't remember what it was, so that question lingered until the end. I must admit I found the early parts of the book a little slow. Nan was on her own and learning all about Charlie, but I wasn't sure where the plot was headed. What was the big conflict? What was Nan trying to accomplish? Later, she became more concerned about her fellow sweeps and wanted to do something to help them. The problem with Nan's former boss grew in severity as the events moved on. Overall, this was a well-written story about a rough time and place in history. It was easy to develop sympathetic feelings for the characters, and I recommend you give it a shot.