• Age: 12 to 15
• Grade: 7 to 10

Will Reid is a gawky kid who wears fake turtlenecks, is obsessed by his ant farm project, and is lousy at gym. In other words, he's the perfect target for Shane, the Grade 9 bully. Katie has been Will's friend in elementary school, but defending him in the high school environment comes at an unforeseen cost - she dreads the rumours that link them in a boyfriend/girlfriend way she's never considered. Devan has been part of Shane's bullyboy team until now, when he comes to realize that it's not so smart to mindlessly back up each nasty attack of Shane's. Together the three young teens are struggling to find their way out of one of the classic dilemmas of life: how not to be a bystander to bullying, how to stand up for your friends, and how to deal with consuming rage.

Caroline Pignat graduated from the University of Ottawa with a Bachelor of Education and a Bachelor of Arts in English and Religious Studies. After working with children and youth for over fifteen years in roles such as teacher, seminar facilitator, mentor and coach, she began her writing career. Her fiction, non-fiction and poetry for children regularly appear in Highlights for Children, Guideposts for Kids, Living Faith for Kids, and Clubhouse Magazine.

Caroline Pignat's profile page

• Commended, Red Maple Book Award - Fiction

"Teens will empathize with the characters and see the personality types inherent within themselves or in their schools."

"Pignat explores the sensitive issue of bullying from three different perspectives, weaving the narratives together to give the reader a sense of plot without overdoing any particular scene. . . At the climax of the story, the bullying escalates to a life-threatening incident, and the impact affects all three of the protagonists. With a sensitive ending that does justice to the characters, the situation, and reality, the issues are supported by Pignat's clear prose and sensitive treatment of the perspectives of three very different characters."
Highly recommended