The Rag and Bone Shop

A seven-year-old girl has been bludgeoned to death and buried in a pile of leaves. Although the police have no leads, they are pressured to close the case as soon as possible. So they call in a master interrogator to question 12-year-old Jason, the victim's friend and the last person to see her alive. Although Jason is innocent, he is shy, insecure, and wants to give answers that will satisfy everyone. As the questioning becomes more subtle and probing, the interrogator's goal soon shifts from finding justice to gaining a quick confession from the boy. Robert Cormier's award-winning books include I am the cheese and The Chocolate War. This is the final work he completed before his death in November 2001. It is a gripping examination of the powers of suggestion and a dark vision of how easily the seeds of evil can be planted. Scott Shina's narration conveys both the boy's innocence and the cloud of suspicion that grows around him.