• Age: 13 to 17
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 13 to 17

At fourteen, Steve Truscott was a typical teenager in rural Ontario in the fifties, mainly concerned about going fishing, playing football, and racing bikes with his friends. One summer evening, his twelve-year-old classmate, Lynne Harper, asked for a lift to the nearby highway on his bicycle and Steve agreed. Unfortunately, that made Steve the last person known to see Lynne alive.

His world collapsed around him when he was arrested and then convicted of killing Lynne Harper. The penalty at the time was death by hanging. Although the sentence was changed to life in prison, Steve suffered for years behind bars for a murder he didn't commit. When his case gained national attention, the Supreme Court of Canada reviewed the evidence -- and confirmed his conviction.

It took over forty years and a determination to prove his innocence for him to finally clear his name. He has since received an apology and compensation for his ordeal.

In this book, young readers will discover how an innocent boy was presumed guilty by the justice system, and how in the end, that same justice system, prodded by Truscott and his lawyers, was able to acknowledge the terrible wrong done to him.

[Fry reading level - 4.8

BILL SWAN has worked as a journalism teacher, editor and newspaper columnist. His first three novels, Fast Finish, Mud Run, and Off Track are highly recommended by CM Magazine: Canadian Review of Materials. Mud Run was nominated for a Manitoba Young Readers` Choice Award. He is also the author of Corner Kick. He lives in Courtice, Ontario with his wife and daughter.

Visit Bill Swan's Website

Bill Swan's profile page

• Short-listed, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction
• Commended, Best Books for Kids & Teens - Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Winner, Red Maple Non-Fiction Award
• Commended, One of the Year's Best -- Resource Links

"[A clearly written, compelling book. . . Author Swan deftly interweaves dialogue with simple urgent text that moves the story along quickly." Rated E - Excellent, enduring, everyone should see it!

Resource Links

"accessible and easy to read"

<i>School Library Journal</i>

"I would highly recommend any teacher (especially intermediate grades) use these books to engage their learners, spark discussion, and create a love and interest for reading!"

Janelle White, grade 7/8 teacher

"The unbelievable journey of Steven Truscott has fascinated Canadians for more than fifty years... Swan gives a gripping account of how young Truscott's life spiraled into a nightmare of wrongful conviction and imprisonment and how it took him forty-seven years to clear his name... This fresh look at the circumstances and details of his wrongful conviction and ultimate acquittal will bring this important and compelling lesson in justice, rightfully, to a whole new generation of readers."

Norma Fleck Award Jury Citation

"Short chapters and direct writing filled with dialogue make this book easily accessible, especially to struggling readers. A centre section, filled with black and white photos of the principals and the crime scene, adds to the story's authenticity and an appended glossary defines legal terms."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

"Real Justice books build on the popularity of true crime while tying into the justice system, and would be excellent classroom resources for government classes."

VOYA

"Real Justice books are quick and simple reads but will keep reluctant young adult readers flipping the pages to see how the stories turn out."

Canadian Children's Book News