Do Not Pass Go

Readers influenced by Hollywood depictions of jailhouse violence and brutal inmates may broaden their view of penitentiary life after reading Hill's ("Dancing at the Odinochka") quiet, insightful novel. Alaska native Deet is deeply shaken when his mother tells him that his overworked stepfather, Charley, who has been taking pills to keep himself awake, has been arrested for drug possession. Deet fears that when the news gets out, he and his two younger sisters will be teased at school. He is also concerned about what will happen to Charley: "Dad in there with horrible criminals, murderers. Gentle, cheerful Dad." Over time, however, Deet discovers that many of his worries are unwarranted. Instead of being taunted by acquaintances, he is consoled by classmates and neighbors, some of whom know what it's like to have a family member in jail. Deet also learns that the prison where his father serves time is not quite as dangerous and dismal as he had imagined. While visiting his father, Deet observes that other prisoners and their families are mostly ordinary people, "like anyone else you might see in the streets." Yet Hill does not sugarcoat the hardships that plague Deet's familyfinancial problems, added responsibilities, uncertainties about the future. Deet emerges as a sensitive, courageous protagonist who is smart enough and open-minded enough to look past people's mistakes. Ages 9-14. "(Jan.)" Copyright 2007 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Gr 69High-schooler Deet is a good kid but feels alienated at his school in Fairbanks, AK, because his family has less money than his classmates. When his father is arrested for drug possession and sent to prison, his first thought is about what the kids at school will think of him. Reality sets in as life in Deet's family changes dramatically. His mother goes back to work and Deet spends every day after school with his dad. His view of prisons and prisoners begins to change when he learns people's stories. Deet's notebook entries for his English class give readers insight into the internal changes he is experiencing. The teen sees the bleakness of prison life but learns to see the positive effects of his father's incarceration. While the message that prisons aren't necessarily set up to rehabilitate criminals is not subtle, this a good story with a believable main character. The book wraps up a bit quickly with Deet's father's release to a halfway house, but is still satisfying as it doesn't tie things up too neatly."Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH" Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.