Snitch

The cop pulled something out of his pocket. "You recognize this, Josh?" I stared at it. It couldn't be. Andrew looked at it too. After a moment he said, "That looks like the fish club Dad gave you." "Those are your initials, aren't they, Josh?" the woman cop said. I nodded. "It's what Scott was hit with. We have it down at the police station, Josh. Besides your initials, it has your fingerprints on it." Josh had been living in a group home after being ratted out by Scott, his one-time best friend. Now he has moved in with his brother and overbearing sister-in-law and has been sent to a class designed to teach him to deal with his anger. When an old enemy continues to push his buttons and Scott appears to be up to his old tricks, Josh struggles to control his temper. Framed for a crime he didn't commit, it will take all of his new-found strength to keep his cool - and his freedom. Norah McClintock is a best-selling author of a number of novels. She is a five-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Award.

Teri S. Lesesne - VOYA

When Josh is convicted of purse snatching, he is given the choice of entering into a regular anger management course or one in which participants retrain stray and abandoned pets so that they can be adopted. Josh opts for the latter, thinking that it will be a break from the boring and predictable. He is dismayed to see that Scott, his former best friend and the person who informed on him to the police, is an assistant worker in the program. Another enemy, Travis, is also involved in the class. Josh has to learn how to channel his anger, how to apologize for inappropriate behavior, and how to take responsibility for his actions. Ultimately Josh is able to see that sometimes it is better to "snitch" in order to protect the innocent. Students who are searching for books that are easy to read but also age appropriate will appreciate this book and the others in the Orca Soundings series. Be certain to recommend some other books outside of the series as well, such as Peg Kehret's Cages (Cobblehill, 1991/VOYA June 1991) for readers who enjoyed this novel. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P S (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, Orca, 100p., Trade pb. Ages 15 to 18.