The Snowball Effect

By Deb Loughead

Dylan and his friends snowball cars for entertainment on the weekend. When they don't get enough reaction from passing cars, they put rocks in the middle of their snowballs. Their first attack with the loaded snowballs causes a car crash. His friends flee, but Dylan goes to the scene of the accident to make sure the driver is okay. He runs off when he knows help is on the way. Dylan is sighted, and rather than being punished, he is lauded as a hero. As his lies pile up, so does the hype about his heroics, and along with it, Dylan's guilt.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Oct 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781554693726

Deb Loughead

Deb Loughead is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults including Wildfire, Payback and Rise of the Zombie Scarecrows in the Orca Currents line. Her books have been translated into seven languages, and her award-winning poetry and adult fiction have appeared in a variety of Canadian publications. Deb has conducted workshops and held readings at schools, festivals and conferences across the country. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews for The Snowball Effect

[jrlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When a boy becomes involved in a dangerous activity with a group of his friends, and a horrible consequence results from their actions, he is mistakenly identified as a hero. He struggles with downplaying all the praise that people try to heap on him, and his shame at what he really did. A great story which would pair nicely with "The First Stone" by Aker. This one would work for students who are reading below grade level, and the First Stone would be best for those who are voracious readers.