The Jacket

After wrongly accusing a boy--an African American boy?of stealing his brother's jacket, Phil--a white boy--has some hard thinking to do. And a tough question for his mom: "How come you never told me I was prejudiced?" This seemingly small school incident turns into a painful, but ultimately satisfying, learning opportunity for the sixth grader, as he explores the myriad influences in his life and the way his thought patterns have formed... and finds a new friend in the process. The intellectual evolution Phil goes through may be somewhat facile for a child his age, but Andrew Clements's message will undoubtedly hit home for many readers. This is exactly the kind of situation that arises every day in schools (and offices and buses) all over the world. Clements is the author of many highly acclaimed children's books, including The Janitor's Boy and Frindle. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter Thief! When Phil sees another kid wearing his brother's jacket, he assumes the jacket was stolen. It turns out he was wrong, and Phil has to ask himself the question: Would he have made the same assumption if the boy wearing the jacket hadn't been African American? And that question leads to others that reveal some unsettling truths about Phil's neighborhood, his family, and even himself.