The Journey of Little Charlie (Scholastic Gold)

Twelve-year-old Charlie is down on his luck: His sharecropper father just died and Cap''n Buck -- the most fearsome man in Possum Moan, South Carolina -- has come to collect a debt. Fearing for his life, Charlie strikes a deal with Cap''n Buck and agrees to track down some folks accused of stealing from the cap''n and his boss. It''s not too bad of a bargain for Charlie... until he comes face-to-face with the fugitives and discovers their true identities. Torn between his guilty conscience and his survival instinct, Charlie needs to figure out his next move -- and soon. It''s only a matter of time before Cap''n Buck catches on.

Newbery Medalist Christopher Paul Curtis brings his trademark humor and heart to this story of a boy struggling to do right in the face of history''s cruelest evils.