Just One Flick of a Finger. A boy, terrorized by a bully, brings a gun to school to scare him off, but instead accidentally shoots both himself and a friend. An urban setting, rap-style text, and bold illustrations will attract readers. Mick Harte Was Here. Phoebe s close friend, Zoe, helps her cope with the loss.
Lively humor helps to lighten the situation.
In his town, boys of that age traditionally become wringers who strangle wounded pigeons at the annual pigeon shoot. Palmer s sensitive, nonviolent personality creates inner struggles as well as struggles with his father, who has won awards for being a sharpshooter. A Newbery Honor Book, this story lends itself easily to discussions on a variety of topics. Books for Older Readers Fiction Grant, Cynthia D. Mary Wolf. As their situation gradually goes from bad to worse, this novel depicts the mental instability that can arise from living in difficult circumstances, and what can happen when a gun is added to the equation.