Code of Silence

What if three junior high friends witness a violent crime and fear they'll get killed if they talk? What if an innocent man will die if they don't? That's the premise of this contemporary adventure novel for 8-12-year-olds. In Code of Silence, Cooper, Hiro, and Gordy witness the violent robbery of a local merchant. Even though the men are wearing masks, the merchant suddenly realizes who is behind the scheme, prompting the thugs to silence him for good-or so they think-but he ends up in a coma instead of a casket. Cooper believes one of the robbers is a policeman. Fearing their lives will be at risk if they tell what they've seen, the three friends form a pact to keep everything they saw a secret. They find that living a lie doesn't come without a price tag. Their dishonesty mounts up, and so does the tension between them. Cooper believes sticking to the code is a matter of survival, but he learns the cost of survival may be the friendships he values most. When the merchant shows signs of rousing, they know his enemies will be back to finish the job. Unless Cooper risks his own life and breaks the code of silence, an innocent man will die. Throughout the story Cooper battles his instinct for self-preservation versus his conscience. In order to avoid a potentially dangerous situation, Cooper has withheld the truth. He finds that keeping quiet leads to facing something worse-guilt and regret. The story really asks this question: "Is telling the truth always the right thing to do, or in the interest of protecting yourself, is it okay to lie or withhold the truth?" The story will pit two standards against each other: "Honesty is the best policy" versus "Silence is golden." In the end, Cooper's conscience wins out, a decision he'll never regret.