Rat

From The Critics

When he catches the popular basketball coach molesting a cheerleader, 15-year-old Jeremy, "Rat," testifies in court against him, angering the boys on the team. Since Jeremy is the team's manager, this in an extremely uncomfortable situation. Along with trying to get into the team's good graces, Jeremy has to come to terms with the fact that he was born with a birth defect, a withered arm, which hinders his ability to play the sport he loves. At this point in his life, Jeremy is feeling very alone. With the help of the new coach and his wife, young Jeremy understands that he made the right decision in testifying. The question is whether the coach can get Jeremy's teammates to believe this also. This well-crafted book is intriguing. The reader will be able to relate to Jeremy and feel eager to see what happens next—a definite page-turner. With its vocabulary and plot detail, it is probably best suited for kids in middle school, or the reluctant reader. 2002, Boyds Mill Press, 205 pp.,
— Jennifer York

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-This compelling novel begins with Jeremy Chandler, the narrator of the story, testifying against his school's basketball coach, whom he saw trying to rape a cheerleader. At his tiny high school in upstate New York, the teen is not hailed as a hero for his actions: many of his classmates treat him with anger and cruelty. He feels particularly vulnerable because he was born with a withered arm, and even though he loves basketball, he can only be the team manager. The new, no-nonsense coach soon sets the team on a winning course, but the focus of this novel is not solely on sports. Instead, much of it is about Jeremy's efforts to navigate his way through life's moral choices, to better understand other people, and to even come to grips with death. This is a novel that doesn't shy away from exploring the characters' spiritual sides. However, in some ways, it tries to tackle too many big issues and it starts off stronger than it finishes. Once-popular Cassandra is ostracized because of the incident, but the students, particularly the other cheerleaders, never talk about their feelings and attitudes, and their motivations remain muddled. Still, the story is filled with emotional power, told through a skillful first-person narration.-Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this portrait of a moral dilemma, Cheripko (Imitate the Tiger, 1996, etc.) presents an insecure 15-year-old boy with a deformed arm who can't decide which is more important: the approval of his friends or telling the truth about a sexual attack he witnessed. Jeremy, or "Rat," as he is known in his high school, begins by reluctantly testifying against a popular basketball coach, whom he saw assaulting a cheerleader. With the coach convicted and sent to jail, the entire school, and especially the basketball team, ostracize Jeremy. The school's science teacher takes over as the new coach, imposing on the team not only strong discipline and excellent basketball knowledge, but also a strict moral code. He encourages Jeremy to remain as the team manager despite the hostility of the players, especially Simpson, who threatens violence. Jeremy first believes he's done wrong by telling the truth, yet Simpson's uncontrollable behavior appalls him. Cheripko, however, doesn't portray Simpson as merely a cardboard-cutout villain; instead, he allows readers to discover that Simpson suffers from a handicap less visible but just as debilitating as Jeremy's withered arm. There's enough basketball action to attract fans of the sport and the drama keeps flowing. Written with honesty and insight into teenaged angst, this should easily maintain young readers' interest as well as serve as a discussion starter. (Fiction. 12-14)