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

The city is cracking down on graffiti and guerilla art.

Between that and cutbacks to the local art gallery it seems like nothing is safe. But Oswald, masquerading as a graffiti artist known as The Wiz, is fighting back—by painting elaborate murals in public places and planting art in the galleries, and then by taking on the mayor himself. As the fight escalates and the stakes become higher, Oswald gets in deeper than he meant to and needs to rely on his friends to get him out of his latest mess.

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!

Eric Walters is the author of many acclaimed and bestselling novels for children and young adults. His novels have won numerous awards, including the Silver Birch, Blue Heron, Red Maple, Snow Willow, Ruth Schwartz, and Tiny Torgi, and have received honours from the Canadian Library Association Book Awards and UNESCO's international award for Literature in Service of Tolerance.

Eric lives in Mississauga with his wife, Anita, and three children, Christina, Nicholas, and Julia. When not writing or touring across the country speaking to school groups, Eric spends time playing or watching soccer and basketball, or playing the saxophone.

To find out more about Eric and his novels, or to arrange for him to speak at your school, visit his website at www.ericwalters.net.

if (SYM == "BIO") { document.writeln(""); } else { document.writeln(""); }

Eric Walters' profile page

• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection

"Inspired by the experiences of areal Toronto tagger who tacks on a testimonial of his own, Walters' tale makes a refreshing change of pace from the sports- or personal-crisis-driven stories often aimed at unenthusiastic or less able older readers."

Booklist

"Combines everyday, likeable characters in a contemporary setting with a fast-paced mystery. Despite the novel's brevity, Walters succeeds in creating believable characters with whom readers can readily identify. In addition to these winning elements, Walters includes engaging discussions on art history, what people consider art, and freedom of expression...Great food for thought!...Highly Recommended."

CM Magazine

"A quick, light read; heavy on dialogue and action to keep the reader moving and the reluctant reader hooked."

Resource Links

"The issues discussed are relevant to today’s teens...This novel fills a need for diverse high school readers."

Library Media Connection