It's the fear of every goody-two-shoes: getting in trouble for trying to do the right thing.
When Sierra Shepard accidentally takes her mom's lunch to school, she goes from teacher's pet to troublemaker so quickly that she doesn't have time to finish her lunch. Her mom's lunch included a small knife to cut an apple, and when Sierra tries to be good by turning it in, she's told she's in violation of the school's "zero tolerance" policy. Her principal and her lawyer dad stake their positions. Neither will back down, and Sierra is caught in the middle--and stuck with an in-school suspension. The TV cameras come to town, and everyone in school starts to take sides--including her crush. But Sierra just wants things to go back to normal.
Most readers will be aware of a zero tolerance policy but likely will never have seen it challenged, and the conflict here provides an accessible entry point into the world of moral ambiguity. The book is engaging, and Sierra's voice is pitch-perfect. Readers who are feeling the first pangs of rebellion will be thrilled by the depiction of Sierra's principal and father behaving badly for all the right reasons, as well as by some of Sierra's anti-establishment choices.
The book resolves neatly, but discussion about it will be heated. Though there is some mature (though well-chosen) language, ultimately it's a great choice for book groups, and any reader looking for more complexity in a novel. --Stephanie Anderson, head of readers' advisory at Darien Library and blogger