Do Not Pass Go by Kirkpatrick Hill 

Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–9—High-schooler Deet is a good kid but feels alienated at his school in Fairbanks, AK, because his family has less money than his classmates. When his father is arrested for drug possession and sent to prison, his first thought is about what the kids at school will think of him. Reality sets in as life in Deet's family changes dramatically. His mother goes back to work and Deet spends every day after school with his dad. His view of prisons and prisoners begins to change when he learns people's stories. Deet's notebook entries for his English class give readers insight into the internal changes he is experiencing. The teen sees the bleakness of prison life but learns to see the positive effects of his father's incarceration. While the message that prisons aren't necessarily set up to rehabilitate criminals is not subtle, this a good story with a believable main character. The book wraps up a bit quickly with Deet's father's release to a halfway house, but is still satisfying as it doesn't tie things up too neatly.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

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From Booklist

In his small Alaskan town, Deet is certain that everyone in his school will learn that his stepfather has been jailed for drug possession. He faces his classmates with trepidation, but even more intimidating is the prison, where Deet goes to visit his stepdad. Through these visits, Deet comes to know some of the prisoners and gains insight into their stories. Most of these insights are explained in Deet's homework assignment for English class, and he forms a friendship with a fellow student whose brother is also in jail. Hill is a master of the telling detail; she conveys the atmosphere of the visitor's center of the jail, for example, in a few vivid sentences. Best is her portrait of Deet, a strong, thoughtful teenager, forced through circumstances to hold things together for his family. There's not a great deal of action here, but the story is compelling nonetheless. Todd Morning

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