If I Ever Get Out of Here ( 356 Pages )

Eric Gansworth has written many books for adults, but this is his first Young Adult book. It is a story that examines families and their values, rich vs poor, the haves vs have nots, bullying, and friendship. It is the story of a Native American, Lewis Blake, and his life on the Tuscarora reservation in upstate New York. This Gansworth knows well, as it is where he grew up. Lewis, who has never had a friend, meets George Haddenfield, an army brat, who befriends him. Lewis is unsure of how much about himself he can safely expose. So these two friends discover how different they may be on the outside, and how alike they may be on the inside. This is a very different story from Sherman Alexie's novel, The Absolutely True Story of a Part Time Indian, yet it paints a picture that is true to middle school and all of its peculiarities, a story that instructs the reader about life on a reservation, and a story that raises the question about when is it OK to lie. All of this is woven around Paul McCartney and The Beatles as well as Paul McCartney and Wings. I enjoyed this book immensely.