Fouling Out

"Fouling Out" by Walters, Gregory, published by Orca Book Publishers. Craig and Tom have been friends since second grade, but that was five years ago and Craig is getting sick of Tom's out-of-bounds behavior. When Craig begins to realize that he may have more potential in school than he ever thought, he starts to distance himself from Tom, who is both the class clown and the school bully. But severing ties with an old friend is never easy, and a foolhardy incident in a local park pulls Craig back into Tom's orbit. Faced with the realities of Tom's home life, Craig must determine the limits of this volatile friendship. From School Library Journal Grade 57Craig Trilosky has been friends with Tom since second grade. Now he's beginning to reconsider their relationship; the older they get, the more trouble Tom gets them both into. Tom's father is abusive, and his own behavior is unpredictable. Things come to a head when he attempts to shoot a squirrel and Craig tries to stop him, leading to what the media labels a hate crime when the stray bullet shatters the window of a Chinese family's house. Consumed by guilt, Craig is shocked when Tom beats him up but then takes responsibility for the incident. However, the threat of foster care causes Tom to run away. Craig confesses everything to his mother, and when Tom, suffering from hypothermia, comes to them for help, Craig's mother takes charge, eventually helping to get him from Vancouver to an uncle in Saskatchewan. There is little build-up to Craig's abrupt confession, and it seems unrealistic that his mother doesn't contact the authorities. Craig's narrative voice doesn't always ring true; not too many 13-year-old boys use words like "buffoon," "guffaw," and "sleuthing." However, kids who are dealing with the desire to redefine themselves apart from a difficult friendship may relate to Craig's situation. Laurie Slagenwhite, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist A teenager struggles to steer a course away from a risky friend in this conventional but not agenda-ridden debut. Thirteen-year-old Craig has hung out with Tom ever since third grade, but now all the pranks and blowing off schoolwork are starting to wear thin. Plainly drawing on his experiences as a teacher and principal, Walters tucks in seemingly authentic classroom dynamics, silly games, andhorsing around while capturing Craigs conflicting feelings as his longtime buddy exhibits increasingly erratic behavior. A scary near miss with a gun brings matters to a head. Tom runs away from home to escape the retribution of his violent, abusive father, and Craig, after much inner turmoil and with some unexpected adult assistance, helps Tommake a clean break. This isnt likely to draw a wide audience, but there are some vivid moments, and Craigs insight that acts of charity should make a difference, not highlight a difference is worth pondering. Grades 5-8. --John Peters Book details: published 2008. Order now on BookShops.in with fast, reliable delivery across India.