Trouble by Gary D. Schmidt (released on April 21st, 2008)

Schmidt has created another wonder of a work, completely different once again from his previous books but just as rich in language while remaining easy to read and devour.

Henry’s father always told him that if you build your house far enough away from Trouble, then Trouble will never find you.  But Trouble finds their family anyway when Henry’s older brother is hit by a truck while out jogging.  The truck is driven by Chay Chouan, a Cambodian teen, sparking racial tensions that had been simmering for some time.  Henry is trapped between his deep admiration for his brother and the truth as it slowly emerges, changing forever his perception of what honor is, what brotherhood is and what strength is.

Schmidt’s language is amazingly clear yet evocative.  My copy of the book looks like a hedgehog from all of the passages I have marked.  Here is a favorite passage taken from a galley copy:

His mother reached out to Henry and drew him to her.  He could not remember another time when she had held him so tightly.  Or when his father — with eyes closed and his hands up to his face again– had looked so… empty– as if the soul had left his body, and his body understood that it would never come back.

Another nice piece is the beginning of chapter four where Schmidt describes the transformation of a town from a healthy industrial community to a ghost-filled desolation where eventually the Cambodian immigrants who understood ghosts came to live.  The first two pages of that chapter are breathtakingly brave and beautiful.

This book is filled not only with strong passages but with strong characters and complex situations that slowly reveal their complexity to Henry and the reader.  It is a joy to slowly work through the puzzle of the book, learning as each page turns and lingering over amazing language.

Highly recommended for readers ages 12-14.  Every library should have a copy of this book and make sure that children and teens who love to read will be exposed to the delight of this writing.