Author: Barbara Gregorich
Publisher: Cross Your Heart / City Lights

Sophomore Cole Renner knows teamwork inside and out from running cross-country at his multi-ethnic Chicago public school. He knows about braving the elements and not getting passed in the chute.

What Cole doesn't know is how much he'll need all of his mental and physical skills when the heavy doors of Cook County Jail slam shut on his father, a community activist; when his English teacher catches Cole tagging the school with the F word and sentences him to write two poems a week, each on a word that starts with F; when his best friend Felipe Ramirez runs for class president against the girl who dumped him; when the school bully prowls the halls looking for Cole and the principal seems more interested in punishing Cole than the bully.

As much as Cole wants to win meets, what he wants even more is justice -- for his father, for himself, for Felipe and for his fellow students. Cole learns that actions matter, but so do words. He takes his write words (in both Spanish and English) and turns them into the right words to fight for justice.

A good and inspiring read. Although I don't like how the author seems to drive the point in that she doesn't like anarchists just a bit excessively, I enjoyed the journey that Cole went on over the four months in which the book takes place. Those of us who are all grown up tend to forget just how tumultuous and busy high school life was; with relationships lasting months at best, friends becoming enemies and vice versa, along with your ideas of how the world should be, and what you can do to fix it. I feel like this book captures that pace better than any other teen novel that comes to mind. I enjoyed how the author brought several issues plaguing our country to forefront all in the story, but there were times that it felt a little forced. The only other complaint I have is the one sidedness of many of the characters, but what are you gonna do?

- Jay Gill