Code of Silence ( 333 Pages +)

When is it OK to lie? In this book, Tim Shoemacker presents the reader  with this question and tests it via multiple scenarios. Cooper, Gordy and Hiro have been friends for years. Gordy and Cooper are cousins, and Hiro is a friend to both of them. She is a young lady who wants to be a member of the police force in her town. This is the same police force that her dad belonged to before he was killed. But the one place in this book that becomes an integral part of the book is a local diner called Frank 'n Steins. Frank is one of the owners. He loves kids and knows everyone by name. This is the place the kids come for incredible milk shakes and fries. It is the dream place for many teens who just want a place to hang out. One night, while the three teens (eighth graders) were there, and Frank was cleaning up the place as they finished their shakes and fries,  people wearing masks came in, beat up Frank. The three kids hid as they witnessed the horror taking place. They saw Frank bloodied and beaten down on the floor. They heard the robbers discussing going upstairs to open the safe where Frank kept his money. He didn't believe in banks. While the robbers were upstairs breaking into the safe, the three kids got out grabbing the keys sticking in the door and the hard drive that kept track of everyone entering the building, the hard drive that had the three teens' faces on it. Cooper tries to catch up on his bike with Hiro and Gordy who are racing away on their bikes. He falls, avoiding a car coming out of Dunkin' Doughnuts and knows that at least one of the robbers has spotted him. The teens meet up and Cooper pressures the other two to agree to a Code of Silence which in turn leads to lies necessary to be told in order to keep their secret. This book is one that opens up the question of when is it necessary/OK to lie? When is it important to trust adults to protect teens and do the right thing? At the end of the book there are author's notes as well as a page of 10 questions for readers to consider. It looks as though there may be a follow-up to this book called Back Before Dark.