In the Woods

September 15, 2009
Grades 7-10 When teenage Camerons twin sister, Katie, begs him to go to the lake trail, he finds a newborn baby there and saves its life. Whose baby is it? It takes him awhile to confront the truth, but readers will know it is Katies baby. Told from Camerons viewpoint, this very short, spare novel effectively dramatizes the facts of hidden pregnancy. High-achieving Katie has kept her condition secret not only from her mom and brother, but also for a long time from herself, and Cameron eventually learns from a social worker that such denial is not uncommon. The babys father is not part of the story, just some guy at a party, and there was no birth control. A secondary character is Camerons adopted friend, who wishes she knew her birth mother. While packing in lots of facts about teenage pregnancy, this fast read is more than a problem novel. Camerons seething jealousy of his gifted twin, her failure, and his growing bond with his sisterand with his niecewill hold readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)