Sam

Gr 5 Up–Could the novel Anne of Green Gables help a troubled 14-year-old boy in a juvenile detention facility awaiting trial on theft and assault charges come to terms with his anger? Readers will say “yes” thanks to this contemporary, briskly paced tale of Sam Reid, a red-headed orphan with a very bad temper. Scarred by tragedy, trauma, and the foster care system, Sam is primed for a fight at any moment. But Walters’s first-person narrative quickly reveals Sam’s true nature: intelligent, witty, and canny. He’s a boy who uses anger as a mask to conceal his fear and uncertainty. Walters authentically portrays Sam’s cautious acceptance of support from people at the facility: his roommate Nigel, social worker Jenna, psychologist Dr. McEnny, and especially Mrs. Martinez, the English teacher who directs him to read Anne. Sam gripes about its long descriptions but relates to Anne’s loneliness and rage. As the original follows Anne’s growth, this novel follows Sam’s progress towards self-honesty and accepting of responsibility for his actions. The depiction of life in the detention facility is not gritty or profane, and Sam gets his own (perhaps a bit convenient) happy ending. Sam and Nigel are described as white.