• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 12 to 18

Jojo's back, released from jail, and people are tense and afraid all over again.

They wonder if his friends will start showing up again. They wonder if they'll be walking down the street one day and they'll run into Jojo and Jojo will give them attitude or shove them around, just for fun. Jojo's friends have a way of making it hard—really hard—on people who decide to press charges against Jojo. Those people just wish Jojo would go away and never come back. Then there are the people who have hate in their hearts. These people wish something bad would happen to Jojo. Something really bad. Ardell Withrow is one of those people.

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible. Available in Spanish as El regreso.

Norah McClintock est l’auteure de plus de 40 livres, dont ceux des collections Chloe & Levesque, Mike & Riel et Robyn Hunter Mysteries, tous publiés chez Scholastic Canada. Les livres de Norah ont été traduits dans une douzaine de langues. Elle a remporté le prix Arthur Ellis dans la catégorie du meilleur roman policier jeunesse et beaucoup d’autres récompenses. Native de Montréal, Norah a obtenu un baccalauréat en histoire de l’Université McGill. Une mer de chagrin est son premier roman historique. «Il est temps d’utiliser toutes ces connaissances en histoire», a-t-elle dit. Norah vit maintenant à Toronto.

Norah McClintock is the author of Tell and Snitch, both Orca Soundings novels. Norah lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Norah McClintock's profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
• Commended, TriState Young Adult Book Review Committee Book of Note
• Commended, Resource Links, The Year's Best Books
• Commended, Ontario Library association (OLA) Best Bets

"Bullying and revenge are common themes in young adult literature, but author Norah McClintock gives these classic themes an updated twist...The experiences in the book are ones to which almost any reader will relate."

Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy

"Back is sure to satisfy Norah McClintock fans as well as teens looking for an authentic urban experience in a well-told, accessible story. It is also an excellent choice for read-aloud. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Fits the Orca Soundings template to perfection. It is suspenseful and plot-driven, and written in a neutral way that leaves much to the inference of the reader. It covers strong, current issues with realistic language."

Resource Links

"This short but powerful story explores the topic of forgiveness and redemption from the perspective of a bystander who renames nameless and genderless...This is a good morality tale that will have reluctant readers thinking about how they would react in a similar situation. Recommended."

Southwestern Ohio Young Adult Materials Review Group (SOYAMRG)

"Perfect for reluctant readers up for some soul-searching."

Booklist