Moonrise

When Joe’s brother Ed faces his upcoming execution for a murder he swears he didn’t commit, he asks Joe to leave New York and head to Texas to visit before the execution. While Ed’s lawyer tries to secure a stay of execution and have the conviction overturned, Joe heads to Texas, and struggles with whether to put his faith in his brother or the justice system. Once in Texas Joe gets a job, meets a girl, and tries to discover the truth about his brother. This novel in verse can be used for literature circles or independent reading, and offers opportunities to discuss difficult topics, such as ethics, the death penalty, criminal justice, lethal injections, forgiveness, and false convictions.