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Gr 5 Up—Twelve-year-old Tommy struggles with a multitude of problems as he grows up in the small working class, immigrant community of Downer's Grove, Illinois during the early 1950s. His mother, who suffers from debilitating mental illness frequently lashes out in fits of unpredictable violence that affect the entire family, including his father and two younger sisters. When his beloved older sister is severely burned in an accident that he blames on himself, he takes over her early morning paper route, meeting neighbors and encountering challenges along the way. Despite his v...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Twelve-year-old Tommy Wilson loves cowboys and wants to be one. That's not so easy, though, in 1950s Downers Grove, Illinois. Beset with worry and guilt -- his mother is becoming more and more emotionally unstable, and his older sister suffers serious burns while taking over one of Tommy's chores -- Tommy takes out his troubles on others, bullying kids at school and playing a prank on the local grocery store owner that ends up costing t...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Twelve-year-old Tommy wants to be a cowboy. That's not so easy, though, in 1950s Downers Grove, Illinois. After he plays a prank ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More