It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison Levy
Published by Yearling Books on November 13, 2018
ISBN: 1524766461
Genres: Realistic Fiction
Format: Chapter Book Fiction
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Victim: Theo, middle grade student whose photography that was on display in a common area at Shipton Middle School was vandalized by unknown suspects.

Suspects: Molly (Overachiever Extraordinaire), Andre (the Invisible Man), Erik (Jockstrap), Alice (Class Weirdo) and Jax (Annoying). All have the same line “It Wasn’t Me”.

This is a middle school version of “The Breakfast Club” where their teacher creates a Justice Circle during school break instead of them being disciplined by the principal. The story is mostly written in Theo’s viewpoint, but scattered throughout the book are Q & A’s that the “suspects have answer through out the week of sitting in the Justice circle. As in the “Breakfast Club” these six students find out more about each other and realize that what happened to Theo’s photos was wronged and a mistake and that neither of them had caused to do so.

Fans of a “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “The Popularity Papers” would enjoy this book. Recommended for grades 5-8.

Reviewed by Kristin Taylor, Biddeford High School, Biddeford.