It Wasn't Me

Starred review from September 17, 2018
When Massachusetts seventh-grader Theo’s self-portraits are vandalized with gay slurs in the student gallery, and someone destroys his long-exposure pinhole cameras shortly afterward, it seems that someone is out to get him. In a Breakfast Club–like scenario, teacher Ms. Lewiston calls Theo and the bystanders of the incident—as Theo narrates “the Over-achiever, the Jock, the Nerd, the Weirdo, and the Screw-up”—to a five-day “Justice Circle” during school vacation. Framed by daily reflective assessments written by each bystander and told through Theo’s eyes, Levy (The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher) subtly takes the reluctant group from anger and suspicion to a moving level of friendship, vulnerability, and trust as the kids open up to one another. Adults are virtually invisible, save the venerable Ms. Lewiston, which successfully creates an all-kid dynamic peppered with laugh-out-loud moments. What at first seems like a novel solely about bullying becomes a story about six kids who find their way to true friendship and fierce loyalty, and why restorative justice is worth the time and effort it takes. Ages 10–up. Agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary.

Seven narrators portray a diverse cast of characters in this seventh-grade version of THE BREAKFAST CLUB. When Theo's photography project is mysteriously vandalized at school, he and the five suspects must come to school over vacation for "Justice Circle" to process the incident. What starts as a whodunit about bullying soon becomes a story about loyalty and friendship as the nerd, the overachiever, the jock, the class clown, and the weirdo all bond with Theo and each other. Most of the story is told from Theo's perspective, and, as Theo, Robbie Daymond portrays each character with authenticity and heart. "Status reports" read in the voices of the teacher and each suspect help reveal their deeper personalities since we hear their voices very differently than Theo does. S.C. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine