The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls
by James Bird (Author)
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Booktalk: Benjamin Waterfalls comes from a broken home, and the quickest fix he’s found for his life is to fill that emptiness with stuff he steals and then sells. But he’s been caught one too many times, and when he appears before a tough judge, his mother proposes sending him to “boot camp” at the Ojibwe reservation where they used to live.
Soon he is on his way to Grand Portage, Minnesota, to live with his father — the man Benny hasn’t seen in years. Not only is “boot camp” not what he expects, but his rehabilitation seems to be in the hands of the tribal leader’s daughter, who wears a mask. Why? Finding the answer to this and so many other questions prove tougher than any military-style boot camp. Will answers be enough for Benny to turn his life around and embrace his second chance?
Snippet: I don’t know why I stole it. I don’t have any younger siblings or cousins that would have wanted it. It’s not like I know any kids I’d give it to. But still, I saw the stuffed bear on the department store shelf and grabbed it. And as soon as I walked out, I was met by security. Maybe I should have just paid for it. It was only twenty bucks.
Instead, I ran. And no more than ten steps into the parking lot, I was tackled and pinned to the asphalt until the police arrived. It would be funny if it wasn’t so confusing. A stuffed bear? It makes no sense at all.
This happened five days ago. My mom hasn’t said much to me since, other than telling me to go to school each morning. We’re not exactly close anymore, but she usually doesn’t stop trying to get through to me when I mess up, which according to her, is quite often.
This time, however, I can tell by her hunched shoulders that she is quietly defeated. I’ve never intentionally done anything bad to her. I steal things, big deal. It has nothing to do with her. I mean, I’m thirteen years old. This is what I’m supposed to do, right? All my friends do bad things.
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