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PLAYING WITH MATCHES Brian Katcher Hardcover | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | 978-0-385-73544-5 | July 2008 | $15.99 | Ages 14 up Hardcover Library Binding | Delacorte Books for Young Readers | 978-0-385-90525-1 | July 2008 | $18.99 | Ages 14 up

Junior Leon Sanders would do just about anything to get a date with Amy Greene, his crush since fourth grade, including eating her cigarette. But when she still ignores him, Leon knows it’s time to move on. With his less-than-great looks, off beat sense of humor (“A worm walked into a bar . . .”), and misfit friends, only someone lower on the high school food chain would look twice. A chance locker change puts Leon close to just the girl—Melody Hennon. After a childhood accident left Melody’s face horribly burned, the other kids have ridiculed and, worse, ignored her. When Melody actually laughs at Leon’s jokes, and can recite dialogue from his favorite Monty Python skits, Leon begins to see past the scars. In this relationship Leon can be himself, and Melody can finally have a friend. Their friendship begins to develop into something more, and Leon begins to worry what people might think—especially Amy. Her attractiveness is still a pull, and when Amy begins to show interest in Leon, he drops Melody like a hot match. Soon Leon begins to see that a pretty face might not be worth sacrificing true friendship.

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Prepared by Julie Fales, Library-Media Specialist, Shawnee Mission South High School, Overland Park, Kansas

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