Rat (Orca Soundings)
The hard-hitting, reluctant reader–friendly titles in the Orca Soundings series can boast another standout in this tale of a teen experiencing the downside of being a Good Samaritan. Sick of the threatening behavior of two classmates, Colin steps in and saves an elderly man from their bullying. Instantly the duo takes aim at Colin, posting faked nude photos of him online. Colin brushes it off, but several female classmates are devastated by similar treatment. Finally Colin decides enough is enough: “The code of silence is the code of bullshit.” He breaks the pattern of kids afraid to rat out other kids by going to the principal, sending out mass e-mails, and even proudly wearing a shirt emblazoned with a drawing of a rat. The knockout premise is slightly diminished by a final third that gets a bit histrionic and lacks a punchy ending. Still, this is strong material about cyberbullying, standing up for what’s right, and breaking the senseless cycle of silence. Grades 5-8. --Daniel Kraus