IT WASN’T ME
November 2018, Delacorte/Penguin Random House, 336 pp
The Breakfast Club meets middle school in this story of six 12-year-old students — five potential perpetrators and Theo, one seriously annoyed victim — forced to spend vacation week together in school after a vandalism incident. Told mostly in Theo’s first person narrative, the story evolves into a compelling whodunit, even as it asks the question: what lies behind the labels we wear? Readers will get caught up in the humorous antics while educators will appreciate ties to restorative justice practices and important conversations about the roles of victims, perpetrators, bystanders and upstanders.
STARRED REVIEWS
KIRKUS – “A timely, introspective whodunit with a lot of heart.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL – “Laugh-out-loud humor…This is an engaging read with quirky, likable characters with whom tweens will identify. A good purchase for any collection serving middle schoolers.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY – “A story about six kids who find their way to true friendship and fierce loyalty, and why restorative justice is worth the time and effort it takes.”
ACCOLADES
Chosen as one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2018
NOTE: English Audio rights sold to Listening Library.