Praise for Eddie’s Choice
The latest volume in Reynolds’ popular True-to-Life Series from Hamilton High is the ripped-from-the-headlines story of Eddie Barajas from Reynolds’ novel Shut Up. Now seventeen, he is a senior at Hamilton High. When he impulsively paints over incendiary graffiti on one of the school’s walls, he finds himself the target of a gang of white supremacists, who begin posting racist comments about him on social media (Eddie’s mom is Mexican; his almost stepdad is black.) One example: “Enemy of free speech. Impure race. Defective.” And then, after he stops one of their number from fleeing after a racially motivated incident, he is actually assaulted by a group of them, leaving him with a concussion and other serious injuries. Although he doesn’t see his assailants, he recognizes the voice of one of them as being that of a boy in his yoga class at school. What will he choose to do: tell the police or take matters into his own hands? Reynolds does an excellent job of capturing the climate of bigotry and hatred that increasingly affects the lives of contemporary Americans in the wake of the 2016 election. Never didactic, her story is dramatic and compelling while her characters are fully realized and highly empathetic, especially Eddie and Rosie, the girl he meets and falls in love with. The combination of gentle love story and novel of gritty realism makes for a compelling read. The pull-no-punches novel is sure to excite discussion and—excellent for both classroom use and independent reading—it is a valuable addition to Reynold’s excellent Hamilton High series.
—Michael Cart, Booklist columnist and reviewer
Reynolds’ novel crackles with electric dialogue and vivid day-to-day details today’s high school students will absolutely recognize as their own. The teens in Eddie’s Choice anguish about not only life-choices but the expectations and pressures of family and friends. Eddie’s Choice is a worthy successor to Reynolds’ other prize-winning “True-to-Life from Hamilton High” novels.
—Daniel Acosta, author of Iron River
Another intense, true-to-life teen novel from Ms. Reynolds has Eddie Barajas, grown-up and in high school. Eddie is thrust in to doing the right thing when he encounters members of the white supremacist group and has to face a life-threatening situation. Reynolds once again does not hold back and the intense and real life of teenager life and difficult choices is brought to reality. The reader is rooting for Eddie as he deals with his past and sorts his way through his journey to his future. My students love these books and for many students it is the first set of novels they truly enjoyed and comprehended.”
—Robert Huynh, English teacher, San Gabriel High School, Alhambra CA
After surviving a traumatic event when he was much younger, Hamilton High teen Eddie, is facing a new problem. Racial bulling and a group of white supremacists have affected the diverse students at school. Should Eddie leave it alone or stand up to the bullies and put a target on his back? Marilyn Reynolds writes what teens can relate to. She brings what is happening now in young people’s lives and creates a page turning novel.
—Ramona Cheek, Teacher-librarian, Central High School, Fresno
In this stand-alone sequel to Shut Up where Eddie was a victim of sexual abuse as a young boy, Reynolds expertly shows Eddie’s life as a teen experiencing his first love and learning what it means to be a true American.
— Dr. Joan F. Kaywell, Founder of the Ted Hipple Special Collection of Autographed YA & Tween Books
Right on target for Marilyn Reynolds: the continuation of Eddie’s story from Shut Up delves into the thinking and reasoning progress of the teen mind.
—Andrea Catania-Stephenson, Teacher-librarian, El Camino Fundamental High School, Sacramento
It’s often a challenge to find narratives that reflect the diversity of my young clients. Because I work in rural Eastern Washington, I have Hispanic clients, both teens and adults, who are especially concerned about some of the issues discussed in this book, including immigration policy and the white nationalist movement. Thank God for the Hamilton High Series! I’m grateful to have a book that explores issues of immigration policy and provides an opportunity for them to see people like themselves in a contemporary YA novel.
—Leesa Phaneuf, social worker, Walla Walla WA
The Complete True-to-Life Series
from Hamilton High
Telling
Detour for Emmy
Too Soon for Jeff
Beyond Dreams
But What About Me?
Baby Help
If You Loved Me
Love Rules
No More Sad Goodbyes
Shut Up
Eddie's Choice
EDDIE'S CHOICE
Marilyn Reynolds
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New Wind Publishing
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
New Wind Publishing
Copyright © 2019 by Marilyn Reynolds
No part of this publication may be adapted, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without permission from the publisher. Like Marilyn Reynolds’ other novels, Eddie’s Choice is part of the True-to-Life Series from Hamilton High, a fictional, urban, ethnically mixed, high school somewhere in Southern California. Characters in the stories are imaginary and do not represent actual people or places.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior written permission.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Reynolds, Marilyn, 1935-
Eddie's Choice / Marilyn Reynolds
Summary: Senior Eddie Barajas stands up against white supremacists at his high school and becomes their target, triggering his old fears and new choices.
ISBN 978-1-929777-11-2
LCCN 2019905416
Cover design: Tannehill Designs
New Wind Publishing
Sacramento, California 95819
www.newwindpublishing.com
“Together, all things are possible.”
—Cesar Chavez
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To the young organizers and participants of
the Global Climate Strike, the Parkland youth
of #NeverAgain, the Gay Straight Alliance
Networks, and to young people everywhere
who work to heal our broken world.
Thank you to:
Katie McCleary and the Tuesday writers, Ed Cole, Susan Frazier, Kathy Les, Jasmine Shahbandi, and Julie Woodside
Jan Haag and her loft writers
Elizabeth Rosner and the Mendocino and Sea Ranch workshop participants
Deborah Meltvedt and her students at Health Professions High School in her Medical Science class and Creative Writing Club, especially Lizeth, Alaiya, Angelica, Desyre, Blair, Lilliana, Sami, Gracie, and Diana.
Ramona Cheek, Teacher/Librarian, Central High School West, Fresno; Andrea Catania-Stephenson, Teacher/Librarian, El Camino Fundamental High School, Sacramento; Dr. Joan F. Kaywell, Founder of the Ted Hipple Special Collection of Autographed YA & Tween Books; for early readings, and for all they do on behalf of young readers of all levels and interests.
The 916 Ink writers at Walnutwood, especially Nick.
San Gabriel High School teachers, Cady Burkhart and Robert Huynh, and to their students for sharing their takes on life as they know it.
Maryam Jabari, Keith Atwater and Subei Reynolds Kyle for enlightening me in more ways than one.
Halima Smati of the Salam Islamic Center, and the participants in the center’s leadership program, for their openness and willingness to share experiences and perceptions with me.
Dale Dodson, Kathy Harvey, Karen Kasaba, Beth Silverstein and Jeannie Ward, for invaluable help as readers, and for so much more.