Dirt Road Home

In this gripping sequel to Alabama Moon, the gutsy 14-year-old Hal Mitchell must navigate the brutal world of Hellenweiler, a juvenile detention center where survival is a daily struggle.

After his recapture, Hal is sentenced to live at Hellenweiler, an institution more akin to a prison than a boys' home. If he can keep out of trouble, Hal could walk free in just a few months. But in a place rife with gangs and violence, staying on the straight and narrow proves to be a daunting task. The harder Hal tries to avoid conflict, the more his fellow inmates seek to make him fail. Dirt Road Home is a powerful tale of resilience, hope, and one boy's fight against a broken system. This title has Common Core connections.

"Key does a fabulous job of keeping his readers involved in the story and vested in the characters. Even reluctant readers will most likely find this one hard to put down." -- VOYA