A Boy Called Twister (Urban Underground #3)

Gr 8 Up—Kevin Walker has a secret, and he hopes it will stay hidden when he moves to California from small-town Spurville in Texas. Still grieving from his mother's recent death, Kevin just wants to be left alone to begin a new life with his grandparents. He tries to maintain a low profile but his kindness to other students and his natural charm and talent make him a standout in class and on the track field. Unknowingly, the teen outshines Marko Lane, the school bully, and attracts his attention. When Kevin confides in his girlfriend, his closely guarded secret gets out. Marko uses this information to attempt to force him into fearful submission, but he decides instead to confess his past to his new friends. With Marko's power diminished, Kevin gets the girl, the grades, and the glory of earning Tubman High's Arthur Ashe Athletic and Leadership Trophy. The predictable confrontation between Kevin and the bully resolves itself somewhat unusually, but the dialogue doesn't feel authentic. However, teens familiar with Schraff's writing from the "Bluford" series (Scholastic) will still accept Kevin's plight.—H. H. Henderson, Heritage Middle School, Deltona, FL