Linked

Lincoln Rowley, a seventh grader, is popular, athletic, and full of mischief. Sometimes his mischief crosses the line, like pouring manure through the door slot of the office of the university people who discovered dinosaur poop near their town and now are digging for bones. It was a stinky thing to do, and getting caught was worse. The quiet town of Chokecherry, Colorado, is shaken when a swastika appears on the wall of the middle school. There is only one Jewish student: the daughter of one of the university professors. The school immediately institutes special holocaust instruction, but more swastikas appear. The students decide to make a paper chain with six million links to represent those lost in the holocaust. Link discovers some interesting family history, and some real twists and turns make this book riveting.

Gordon Korman speaks middle-grade in a way few authors do. This book is written from the points of view of several characters in the book, and all their voices are spot on. The story is complex, funny, serious, moving, and completely believable. It will capture young readers (and others lucky enough to find this book) and keep them engaged throughout. This is a winner.