In the present, Robbie completes his assignments and interacts with the staff and, eventually, other students at Great Oaks. The story is told in alternating time lines. Eventually Robbie is forced to see how his conditions are influenced by this actions and thoughts and his alone. If he looks deep and communicates well, he can spend time with other people. But the lists soon have Robbie examining his life, including who he is and what he wants. Unfortunately for Robbie, at Great Oaks, even the basics like showering and full-sized meals have to be earned and you can’t do that if you’re fighting the system instead of completing homework.Īt first glance, the homework, a series of lists, may look like busy-work. He’s sullen, mouths off at teachers, damages school property and picks fights, even fights he can’t win. But what can you expect when you’re a piece of murdering scum?Īnd its obvious, Robbie is a first class trouble maker. When he gets to Great Oaks School, Robbie knows exactly where he is – The End of the Line. Story has the potential to make young people think, care, and possiblyĤQ Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses.Posted in Uncategorized tagged Angela Cerrito, AR, middle grade novels, The End of the Line at 7:01 pm by suebe2 Word 'firecracker' in place of swear words. TheĪuthor realistically circumvents the use of bad language by making it a

In poverty would make for timely and meaningful class discussions. Social situations ranging from the war in Iraq to children living

This book would work well as a class read-aloud or literature circle The reader is able to feel his isolation and fear. Gender-appropriate observations go from poignant to clueless, and are The author does an outstanding job of revealing compelling andĬomplex characters through Robbie's narrative. Robbie's pain isĬaustic, and he must learn how to neutralize it. Ryan, a troubled boy who has lived a tragic life. To help him resolve the fact that he feels responsible for the death of Parents, war-damaged uncle, and school friends are not going to be able The misery of the present and the circumstances from the past thatĬaused him to be institutionalized, the reader discovers a great dealĪbout a good kid who is suffering incomprehensible guilt. Here he will earn the privilege to eat, shower, and wear shoes Thirteen-year-old Robbie Thompson begins his story from 'theĮnd of the line' at Great Oaks School, which he refers to as a Retrieved from ĤQ * 4P * M * J Cerrito, Angela.

The end of the line by angela cerrito