Dodger Boy

Gr 6–9—Charlotte and her best friend Dawn are newly minted 13-year-olds coping with teen angst in 1970 Vancouver. They form a pact to be as "unteen" as possible—no giggling, no whining, and, most importantly, no being silly about boys. This is easier for bookish Charlotte, who draws daily inspiration from Jane Austen, than for Dawn, who comes home from music camp with a new hairdo and new attitude. Things are complicated by the arrival of Tom Ed, a draft-dodging 18-year-old with a winsome Texas drawl. Tom takes up residence with Charlotte's Quaker family, and, as Dawn descends further into "un-unteen" behavior over the charming new boy, her friendship with Charlotte becomes increasingly strained. As Charlotte navigates a fluctuant world full of obstacles, including censorship challenges at school, discussions of pacifism and women's liberation with Tom that rock her worldview, and discoveries about the nature of Tom's relationship with her older brother James, she proves to be a deeply introspective and likable protagonist, offering up insights that cut right to the heart of the coming-of-age experience. Charlotte's deteriorating relationship with Dawn is a realistic depiction of a struggling friendship. Some of the attitudes and language employed when discussing the LGBTQ+ community are presented as insensitive and problematic.