Book 65 is a solid realistic contemporary story…

Book 65 is a solid realistic contemporary story that feels genuine and earnest. Earnest is sometimes my code word for “trying too hard and I think the young readers might find it too preachy to appreciate it.” In this case, though, I feel that the young readers who liked 50 Cents’ Playground or Paul Volponi’s Black and White will definitely find both the characters and the events authentic. It is also gentle enough for pre- or early teens: especially because the main character/narrator does not get into the most serious situations as some of the others in the story. (Unlike Black & White, where the main characters are the ones accused and arrested for their crime.) However, since it is so gentle and so positive: I do feel that it lacks the punch toward the end. And it might not be a truly realistic solution for troubled youths…