Whatever

Ages 12 years & over. Sixteen-year-old Darrah is in trouble. She lost her temper and, as a result, Mrs. Johnson was hurt. Now the RCMP is demanding Darrah participate in something called Restorative Justice . Darrah has to face Mrs Johnson, her parents, a policewoman, and a facilitator who all sit in a circle and decide on Darrah’s sanctions . Sanctions aren’t punishments, the facilitator tells her. At first Darrah does not believe this – helping Mrs Johnson two afternoons a week feels like punishment. But then Darrah realises that she likes helping the older woman, especially when Mrs Johnson teaches Darrah how to cook and bake (her recipes are included in the book). It turns out, however, that Mrs. Johnson is hiding a secret…