The Accuser by Anne Schraff

When the neighborhood bully gets murdered, all clues seem to point towards Donyell’s brother, Ricky. Donyell doesn’t want to believe it, but Ricky was out late that night, he came home in bloody clothes, his face looked like it had taken a few punches, and most incriminating of all, he tells Donyell to lie for him and he leaves town for a few days. In a mere 30 pages, Donyell tries to solve this murder mystery by speaking with all the potential suspects, only to discover that he was mistakenly jumping to a lot of conclusions.

This book is part of the Quickreads series, a collection of high interest, low reading level books from Saddleback, and written by one of the authors of the tremendously popular Bluford High series. While it might not have a lot of appeal for students who like to sink their teeth into a longer story, it could be a good match for students looking for something they can get through in one class period or one evening. Our Reading Specialist at Bronx Hope likes to use books in this series while working with her students; this title is one she says students like the most. --Anja Kennedy

Schraff, Anne. The Accuser. Costa Mesa, CA: Saddleback, 2010. Print.