CONVICTION, by Kelly Loy GIlbert

The story: Star pitcher Braden is the only person who knows the truth about what happened that night. His dad claims it was an accident; the police say it was vehicular homicide. Braden loves his father and wants to believe in the God that Mart preaches, but when his estranged brother Trey comes to stay with him in the run-up to the trial, Braden has to face the truth about their dad--and even worse, decide what to say at a trial that could end up with his getting the death penalty. Dad always said you're never more alone than while on the pitcher's mound--but maybe that's because he's never been in the witness box.

June Cleaver's ratings: Language R; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG-13; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content PG; adult themes (co-dependent behaviors; emotional abuse) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: Boys who like Carl Deuker will enjoy this story, even though it's more gut-wrenching than Deuker generally goes. Braden is a kid who truly wants to believe in God, and in his dad, but he's compelled to admit the truth about his father's emotional abuse over the years, and especially as it pertains to his older brother. As his faith in his father crumbles, his faith in God also takes a hit. The reader is left to decide whether Braden will be able to make peace with God without condoning his father's behaviors--something that will speak to many who've run up against the conundrum of perfect God/imperfect believers.