Whose Curious Stars

Fourteen-year-old Daniel Aiken has moved to Oregon, but his roots are in California. His mother marries Robin Stanley, a self-righteous man who wants nothing more than to be rid of his stepson. They move to a small Oregon town where Daniel tries to protect his younger brother, Jesse, who suffers from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. At his new school, Daniel befriends the criminally-minded but good-hearted Hitch McDonough. Together they raise hell, steal beer from convenience stores and talk about the meaning of life in a graveyard. Illegal drugs are smoked and girlfriends end up pregnant. At every turn and deception, Robin Stanley threatens to send Daniel to a military academy, away from his mother and little brother. Then the unexpected happens. "Whose Curious Stars" is a coming of age story about a delinquent boy who is saved by his science teacher and whose bad behavior is offset by a code of honor and an unwavering obedience to greater truths. Against all odds, in the end he does the right thing. (252 pages)