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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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Summary
Summary
Gecko Fosse drove the getaway car.
Terence Florian ran with the worst gang in Chicago.
Arjay Moran killed someone.
All three boys are serving time in juvenile detention centers until they get a second chance at life in the form of Douglas Healy. A former juvenile delinquent himself, Healy is running an experimental halfway house in New York City where he wants to make a difference in the lives of kids like Gecko, Terence, and Arjay.
Things are going well, until one night Healy is accidentally knocked unconscious while trying to break up a scuffle among the boys. Terrified of the consequences, they drop him off at a hospital and run away. But when Healy awakes, he has no memory of them or the halfway house. Afraid of being sent back to Juvie, the guys hatch a crazy scheme to continue on as if the group leader never left. They will go to school, do their community service, attend therapy, and act like model citizens until Healy's memory returns and he can resume his place with them.
But life keeps getting in the way . . . like when Gecko finds romance. Or Arjay gets famous. Or Terence starts reverting to his old ways. If the boys are discovered, their second chance will be their last.
Author Notes
Gordon Korman was born in Montreal, Canada on October 23, 1963. When his 7th-grade English teacher told the class they could have 45 minutes a day for four months to work on a story of their choice, Korman began This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall. He was also the class monitor for the Scholastic TAB Book Club, so he sent his novel to the address on the TAB flyer, and a few days after his 14th birthday, he had a book contract with Scholastic.
By the time he graduated from high school, he had published five other novels and several articles for Canadian newspapers. He received a BFA degree from New York University with a major in Dramatic Writing and a minor in Film and TV. He has written over 75 books for children and young adults including the Swindle series, The Juvie Three, and two books of poetry written by the fictional character Jeremy Bloom.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (1)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-10-Gecko, Terence, and Arjay are serving time in juvenile delinquent facilities and are desperate to get out. Douglas Healy, a reformed delinquent himself, plucks each boy out of juvie to live in a halfway house-a rundown walk-up-he just opened in New York City. The rules are simple: attend school, go to counseling, and perform community service. It's a rough beginning, but each boy realizes that one slip-up lands them back in jail. Gecko and Arjay toe the line well, but Terence attempts to join a gang of dangerous thieves at his new school. When Terence's midnight rendezvous results in their mentor falling to the pavement below, the boys must work together to help Mr. Healy, who is hospitalized with no memory of who he is, and save themselves. The trio decides to keep up the charade that nothing has changed. Far-fetched? You bet. But listeners won't mind. It's satisfying to see the boys struggle to do the right thing and spread their wings. Christopher Evan Welch narrates Gordon Korman's novel (Hyperion, 2008) at a quick pace and gives each character a distinct voice and personality. The hopeful message and happy ending make this a perfect listen for middle schoolers and reluctant readers.-Tricia Melgaard, Centennial Middle School, Broken Arrow, OK (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.