Going Straight

"Another great read from this excellent author who writes with realism and compassion" - Bookseller"This is a great book for readers aged from about 11 years up ... lively with realistic dialogue and a satisfying ending" - School Librarian"A compassionate and ultimately uplifting book which shows how determination and ambition can point a way out of even the worst situation" - The Northern Echo"An absorbing British import about the redemptive power of trust" - Kirkus Reviews, USA---Luke Reid is a persistent offender. Convicted yet again, this time for an attempted theft from a car, he's resigned to a spell in the grim Markham Youth Detention Centre.Unexpectedly, he's given a chance to avoid this. The victim of the crime, Jodi Webb, wants to meet him. More than that, she wants him to accept a community service sentence and help her achieve a burning ambition - to become one of the few blind juniors to compete in the London Marathon.Luke grasps what he sees as an easy way out. It becomes the biggest challenge of his young life, as well as Jodi's.---Going Straight was originally published in print form by Orchard Books.The book was shortlisted for the Leicester Book Award, the Stockport Book Award and the West Sussex Book Award. The French edition (Filer Droit) was the winner of the the Prix des Incorruptibles 2007 and the Prix Litterraire des Collegiens de Haute-Savoie 2008; it was also runner-up for the Le Mans Prix des Lecteurs 2008 and Belgium's Prix Farniente 2008