On My Honour

A very unusual book both in subject matter and treatment. As part of a sequence of events in which Tony has taunted and dared Joel to take up challenges, the two boys swim in an isolated, dirty and wild river. Tony, ever the daredevil, has set it all off but he can't swim. In an awful moment Joel loses sight of him and has to face the fact of Tony's death. There are no soft touches after this, just Joel in his helplessness trying to lie and avoid what has happened. And when he can't and the truth comes out, there is none of the simplicity of adult anger as a resolution, or even adult words to take the guilt away. At the end Joel just asks, simply, if his father will sit with him until he falls asleep and receives the reply, 'Of course'. So raw a treatment of death and guilt has all the feel of the real thing. A powerful read which will set off much thought. Probably worth group or whole class attention.