āA boy with a highly original voice winces his way into the bewildering world of adults during a neglected moment in American historyā (Newbery Medalist Richard Peck) in this heroic coming-of-age novel.
Johnny Cannonās got problems. Money is scarce. Martha Macker, the girl he likes, barely knows heās alive. His best friend Willie is pretty great, but he also happens to be a black kidāwhich is not exactly acceptable in Cullman, Alabama. His big brother Tommy went to war and vanished. His Pa may be committing treason in their backyard. And just when it seems like things couldnāt get worse, an old family friendāor maybe enemyāappears and shakes everything up. Howās a kid like Johnny supposed to get himself and his family out of a mess thatās stickier than molasses and twice as tangled as a spiderweb?