Mills, Claudia Zero Tolerance, 231 pgs. Farrar Straus Giroux Books, 2013. $16.99. Language PG (9 swears, 0 ‘F’); Violence G; Mature Content PG;
Sierra is in seventh grade, she has good grades, she is a leader at school and she has never gotten in trouble. She believes in taking responsibility and always doing the right thing. One day, during lunch she discovers that she grabbed her mother’s lunch bag by mistake. Inside the bag, she finds that her mother packed herself a paring knife to cut her apple. The school has a zero tolerance on weapons and Sierra knows immediately that she has a problem. Her friends know that she didn’t do it on purpose and tell her to pretend it isn’t there and that no one will know, but she can’t do it. She knows the knife is in her bag so she does what she believes is the right thing. She turns the knife into the office. The principal, following school policy, sends Sierra home and informs her parents that she will not be able to attend class until the school board can meet to determine if she will be expelled. Until that time she will be required to attend in-school suspension.
The book was a quick read with realistic, likeable characters and provided some food for thought on our actions and consequences. Sierra is a sympathetic character trying really hard to do what is right but finds herself in an impossible situation wondering what she should have done differently, if anything, as she navigates her way through the unintended consequences of her actions. The book presents both sides of the issue but neither demonizes nor makes light of either side and could be used in a class discussion.
MS – ADVISABLE Reviewer: RB
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