Increasingly alienated from his widowed father, Vernon joins his friends in ridiculing the neighborhood outcasts'Maxine, an alcoholic prone to outrageous behavior, and Ronald, her retarded son. But when a social service agency tries to put Ronald into a special home, Vernon fights against the move. 1994 Newbery Honor Book Notable Children's Books of 1994 (ALA) 1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) 1994 Young Adult Editors' Choices (BL) 1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library) Young Adult Choices for 1995 (IRA)