The Goatnappers

For 15-year-old Justin, life seems woefully unpredictable. Just when things are really starting to look up for him, something comes along to knock him down. Justin is the first freshman to make the high schools varsity baseball team. The first that is since Booker Wilson, the best baseball player to ever come out of their small town, did it 17 years ago. But Justins elation quickly turns to worry when his mother loses her job. To earn money Justin sells Little Billy, the familys beloved baby goat. But the new owner, Mr. Grimsted, mistreats Little Billy. Now Justin must break the law to save him. Then one afternoon a red sports car appears in the driveway and with it comes emotional upheaval for the family, as well as the tempting lure of adventure. Author Rosa Jordans memorable, well-drawn characters are woven together through circumstance into a web of complex relationships marked by challenges and the confusion of divided loyalties. The result is a richly textured portrait of small town life and a struggling family that will satisfy middle readers.