Booktalking Colorado - Full Booktalk Record

Booktalking Colorado Full Record:

	Title:	The Shadow Place
	Author:	Tanzman, Carol M.
	Date Published:	2002
	Genre:	Real Life
	Grade Level:	7 - 8
	Booktalker:	Sam Marsh

Booktalk:
"How much do you hate your father?" Lissa asked Rodney. It was a Truth or dare question, and Rodney had taken Truth. He had to answer, and truthfully. "As much as anyone can hate anyone in the whole world. The two had been close since forever, the same age and growing up together. But, as they had gotten older, they had grown apart, and Rodney seemed to be acting stranger and stranger, alienating everyone, including Lissa. His mother had left long ago. He and his oldest brother stayed with their dad. Now, Rodney's older brother, "the great Jonah Porter, Little League All-Star six years in a row," had left for college with a big athletic scholarship, leaving the portly Rodney all alone with their father, the "best coach in the city." Mr. Porter pushed Rodney, expecting him to fill the shoes of his brother Jonah, even though it was Cody, Lissa's younger brother who, according to Mr. Porter, had just as much talent as Jonah. And, Mr. Porter was verbally, if not physically, abusive in his treatment of Rodney. But, everyone, including Lissa's father, overlooked that aspect because of his status as a good coach. Then, Lissa finds out that Rodney has been on a website talking about guns and that he has bought one. Rodney's mother shows up before leaving with her new husband, Rodney thinks she is going to take him with her. When she doesn't, Rodney is devastated and he, and one of Mr. Porter's guns disappear.