VOYA - Voices of Youth Advocates, review by Lynne Farrell Stover
Thirteen-year-old Robbie Thompson begins his story from "the end of the line" at Great Oaks School, which he refers to as a prison. Here he will earn the privilege to eat, shower, and wear shoes while learning crucial life lessons. With chapters alternating between the misery of the present and the circumstances from the past that caused him to be institutionalized, the reader discovers a great deal about a good kid who is suffering incomprehensible guilt. His loving parents, war-damaged uncle, and school friends are not going to be able to help him resolve the fact that he feels responsible for the death of Ryan, a troubled boy who has lived a tragic life. Robbie's pain is caustic, and he must learn how to neutralize it. The author does an outstanding job of revealing compelling and complex characters through Robbie's narrative. His age- and gender-appropriate observations go from poignant to clueless, and are sometimes hilarious. The reader is able to feel his isolation and fear. This book would work well as a class read-aloud or literature circle title. Social situations ranging from the war in Iraq to children living in poverty would make for timely and meaningful class discussions. The author realistically circumvents the use of bad language by making it a rule of Robbie's counselor, Mr. Lester, that his charges use the word "firecracker" in place of swear words. Robbie's story has the potential to make young people think, care, and possibly change. Reviewer: Lynne Farrell Stover
Thirteen-year-old Robbie Thompson begins his story from "the end of the line" at Great Oaks School, which he refers to as a prison. Here he will earn the privilege to eat, shower, and wear shoes while learning crucial life lessons. With chapters alternating between the misery of the present and the circumstances from the past that caused him to be institutionalized, the reader discovers a great deal about a good kid who is suffering incomprehensible guilt. His loving parents, war-damaged uncle, and school friends are not going to be able to help him resolve the fact that he feels responsible for the death of Ryan, a troubled boy who has lived a tragic life. Robbie's pain is caustic, and he must learn how to neutralize it. The author does an outstanding job of revealing compelling and complex characters through Robbie's narrative. His age- and gender-appropriate observations go from poignant to clueless, and are sometimes hilarious. The reader is able to feel his isolation and fear. This book would work well as a class read-aloud or literature circle title. Social situations ranging from the war in Iraq to children living in poverty would make for timely and meaningful class discussions. The author realistically circumvents the use of bad language by making it a rule of Robbie's counselor, Mr. Lester, that his charges use the word "firecracker" in place of swear words. Robbie's story has the potential to make young people think, care, and possibly change. Reviewer: Lynne Farrell Stover