It Wasn't Me

When seventh-grader Theo’s photographs are vandalized in the school gallery and his developing pictures in the darkroom ruined, the principal orders Theo and the five students who were at the scene to take part in a restorative justice circle during spring vacation to identify the culprit. During the week, the youth face accountability, allegiance, and identity, and confront their assumptions, perceptions and biases. This engaging contemporary novel for grades 6-8 is told primarily through Theo’s voice but presents the perspectives of all the students. It addresses issues of bullying, community, honesty, conflict resolution, and identity, and is suitable for an independent or literature circle novel.