“Bang”

Bang by Norah McClintock   bang

“Act normal? The guy died, and JD wants me to act normal?”

Quentin—‘Q’—thinks he’s going to have the usual day with his friend JD. Q thinks about asking JD’s sister Leah out. He thinks about hanging out, nothing unusual. But when one of their typical petty crimes goes wrong, JD and Q have a terrible secret to hide.

Is JD telling the truth when he says he destroyed the evidence? Should Q be worried about being framed?

High school housekeeping: I really wanted to read a few books over the holiday weekend in anticipation of the READ 180 class visits this week. Bang was one. The Lexile level for Bang is 600, which runs in the 4th-5th grade reading levels. It’s a very short, quick read that deals with a senseless crime, having the courage to tell the truth, loyalty, and betrayal. The author is one of my favorites for teens working on their reading skills. Everything I’ve read by Norah McClintock works well, Bang included.

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About Victoria Waddle

Victoria Waddle is a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer and has been included in Best Short Stories from The Saturday Evening Post Great American Fiction Contest. Her books include a collection of feminist short fiction, Acts of Contrition, and a chapbook on grief, The Mortality of Dogs and Humans. Her YA novel about a polygamist cult, Keep Sweet, launches in June 2025. Formerly the managing editor of the journal Inlandia: A Literary Journey and a teacher librarian, she contributes to the Southern California News Group column Literary Journeys. She discusses both writing and library book censorship on her Substack, “Be a Cactus.” Join her there for thoughts on defiant readers and writers as well as for weekly library censorship news.
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