Having grown up in the shadow of her big brother, a school legend, Laurel is thrilled when one of her stories for the school paper wins acclaim. Eager to repeat her success, Laurel writes a piece about cheating after she observes one classmate slip test answers to another. The reaction to this story is totally different. "Lighten up," her friend tells her. "It's no big deal." Laurel is dismayed because "dishonesty is dishonesty." An anonymous tip points Laurel to a bigger cheating scandal, but her investigation leads her straight to people she cares about, and suddenly the issue is far from black and white. This Orca Currents title for low-level readers focuses on issues teens will care about. Laurel's clandestine probing provides plenty of plot tension, and her discoveries will keep readers guessing about larger mysteries. Readers will want to discuss the issue of cheating, its ramifications, and Laurel's final choices about turning people in.

Budding journalist Laurel is eager to write about the cheating scandal she's uncovered, even if it attracts her classmates' contempt. After finding out who the perpetrators are, Laurel is no longer sure she should write the story. The wimpy conclusion, with its surprisingly lax attitude toward cheating, is a disappointing ending to this otherwise substantial high-interest title.

Laurel is a fledgling reporter who has inadvertently hit front-page gold with a hot scoop. Determined to keep her place in the journalistic limelight, she goes in search of her next big story. When she discovers some classmates cheating, she knows she's found her lead. However, once she begins to investigate cheating in her school, she finds out that it is more rampant—and closer to home—than she ever would have imagined. Now caught in a quandary, Laurel finds there are no easy answers and needs to decide what is really important to her. Short, quick chapters are propelled by frenetic action. Despite its rapid pace, this hi-lo problem novel leaves holes in its character development. For example, it's never clear how old Laurel is or what grade she is in; small details like this would help readers relate to her. True to life, this book does not offer a tidy, Pollyanna-ish conclusion; Laurel comes to learn from this experience a difficult lesson at a great expense. A speedy read, though light in construction. ( Fiction. 10 & up )

Gr 7 Up-While pondering her next big story for the high school newspaper, Laurel Quinn stumbles upon a cheating scam in her math class. Shocked by the idea of her fellow students engaged in such a dishonest enterprise, she immediately writes an expos&3;. Instead of gaining her recognition, she is viewed by her classmates as a traitor and her article results in increased scrutiny by the teachers. Instead of backing away from the issue, she follows an anonymous tip and finds out that the cheating is widespread. Laurel's quest for the truth alienates her star athlete brother and his friends, and she ultimately discovers that the scandal hits closer to home than she realized. Despite some minor, unrealistic plot points, including an instance where an administrator simply hands Laurel class lists and students' grades, Butcher's portrayal of high school cheating is believable, with actual consequences. Teens may initially struggle to empathize with the self-righteous protagonist, but the pacing will keep reluctant readers hooked until the very end. Michael Laser's Z Cheater (Dutton, 2007) and J.M. Steele's The Taker (Hyperion, 2006) cover similar ground with a little more depth. Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA