Red Maple Book Award - Fiction Honour Book
2009
Snow Willow Award Nominee 2009
CLA Young Adult Canadian Book Award shortlist,
2009
Canadian Children''s Book Centre Our Choice,
2009
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.
Young readers will find lots to think about as they turn the
pages of this crisp and compelling story by newcomer Caroline
Pignat. Each character takes a turn at telling the story -- through
the spare blank verse of Will, wrapped up in the world of his
single-parent father and his own eccentric preoccupations; through
the clear-eyed accounts of Katie, wrestling with her own private
demons; and in the sensitive narrative of the slowly awakening
Devan, who comes to notice Katie as a spunky, attractive individual
whom he''d like to know better but fears thinks he''s a goof.
Note that Kids Help Phone''s has included Egghead on
their site as a book to help kids in their Get Information section
under Bullying for Ages 13 and Up.