Bang by Norah McClintock  

“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 4^th-5^th 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.