Bluefish

By Pat Schmatz, 240 pages.

Why? That is what Travis wonders when his grandfather (and guardian) uproots them from the only home he has ever known in the swamp and moves them to a new town. Grandpa doesn't even let him look for his dog, Rosco, the only true friend he has ever had. A new town means a new school, new teachers to presume he is lazy and new kids to presume he is stupid. This novel is ultimately about secrets, the long-time secret Travis has kept from every teacher he has ever had and his grandfather, the secrets his grandfather has about what happened to Travis' parents and the reason for their sudden move, and the secrets kept by the strange girl named Velveeta who for some reason has befriended Travis. This is a simple book about learning to trust and forgive.