It Wasn't Me

When Massachusetts seventh-grader Theo's self-portraits are vandalized with gay slurs in the student gallery, and someone destroys his long-exposure pinhole cameras shortly afterward, it seems that someone is out to get him. In a Breakfast Club-like scenario, teacher Ms. Lewiston calls Theo and the bystanders of the incident—as Theo narrates "the Over-achiever, the Jock, the Nerd, the Weirdo, and the Screw-up"—to a five-day "Justice Circle" during school vacation. Framed by daily reflective assessments written by each bystander and told through Theo's eyes, Levy (The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher) subtly takes the reluctant group from anger and suspicion to a moving level of friendship, vulnerability, and trust as the kids open up to one another. Adults are virtually invisible, save the venerable Ms. Lewiston, which successfully creates an all-kid dynamic peppered with laugh-out-loud moments. What at first seems like a novel solely about bullying becomes a story about six kids who find their way to true friendship and fierce loyalty, and why restorative justice is worth the time and effort it takes. Ages 10-up. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary. (Nov.) 

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 5-8—When someone defaces the self-portraits that seventh grader Theo reluctantly hung in the school gallery, he just wants the whole school to forget his humiliation; his darkroom photos are destroyed soon afterward, though, and Theo feels that he is being targeted. The principal is eager to suspend the guilty person, but Theo's favorite teacher wants the five suspects who were in the gallery when the damage was discovered to come together in what she calls a "justice circle" to resolve the problem and make amends. And so Theo is trapped in a classroom with the students whom he calls the Nerd, the Princess, the Jock, the Weirdo, and the Screw-Up for the entire school break. Even though each student claims to be innocent, each has secrets, and they come to realize, as Ms. Lewiston tells them on the first day, that each is fighting an unseen battle. As Ms. Lewiston guides them through the resolution process, the tweens begin to see beyond labels, and Theo vacillates between wanting to know who hates him enough to vandalize his photos, and not wanting to learn that it is one of his newfound friends. Levy writes in an easy style with laugh-out-loud humor, offering characters that slowly reveal deeper complexity. Although the conclusion has a made-for-TV-movie predictability, it delivers an affirming message without being trite or preachy. VERDICT This is an engaging read with quirky, likable characters with whom tweens will identify. A good purchase for any collection serving middle schoolers.—MaryAnn Karre, Binghamton, NY

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Every reader will find some piece of themselves in Levy's sharp, humorous, and heartfelt novel. A twisty mystery with quirky, unforgettable characters and a positive message to boot.
—John David Anderson, the critically acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby's Last Day and Posted

What at first seems like a novel solely about bullying becomes a story about six kids who find their way to true friendship and fierce loyalty, and why restorative justice is worth the time and effort it takes. —Publishers Weekly, starred

A timely, introspective whodunit with a lot of heart. —Kirkus Reviews, starred

Levy writes in an easy style with laugh-out-loud humor, offering characters that slowly reveal deeper complexity. —School Library Journal, starred