The Juvie Three

Title: The Juvie Three    
Author: Gordon Korman 
Publication Date: 2008
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction - Teen Issues/Novel 
Summary: The Juvie Three is the story of three boys who are chosen to be part of a special program that takes them out of the juvenile detention centers they are in and gives them a chance to serve their time in a half-way house - until things take an unexpected turn.  One night, one of them tries to escape and while the other two and their group leader are trying to stop him, the group leader gets bumped over the ledge of the fire escape, has a concussion and loses his memory.  The boys try to cover up the whole thing until he regains his memory.
What I Think: Gosh, as a teacher it was hard for me to relate to the characters in this book, yet I did find myself rooting for them by the end of the book.  I could totally see how kids would be interested in this book and the mess these kids get themselves into.  I had to get past the fact that they should have just come clean at the beginning.  I think I might recommend this to a 5th or 6th grade boy who is just not quite ready for The Outsiders yet.
Read Together: 5 - 7  
Read Alone: 6 - 8  
Read With: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton  
Snatch of Text: "Around here, Terence's only dogs are Gecko and Arjay and they're about as gangster as Dora the Explorer."  
Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Predictions, Making Inferences  
Writing Strategies to Practice: Characterization 
Writing Prompts: Write about a character who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Write about a time you had to make a tough decision in order to be a person of integrity.  
Topics Covered: Teen Issues, Responsibility, Friendship, Loyalty, Integrity, Trust
Translated to Spanish: No