It Wasn't Me — Content Guide for Parents
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Religious themes
PRESENTContains references to prayer and church attendance. A minister character plays a supporting role in two chapters.
About this book
—JOHN DAVID ANDERSON, the critically acclaimed author of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day and Posted
The Breakfast Club meets middle school with a prank twist in this hilarious and heartwarming story about six very different seventh graders who are forced to band together after a vandalism incident.
When Theo's photography project is mysteriously vandalized at school there are five suspected students who all say "it wasn't me."
Theo just wants to forget about the humiliating incident but his favorite teacher is determined to get to the bottom of it and has the six of them come into school over vacation to talk. She calls it "Justice Circle." The six students—the Nerd, the Princess, the Jock, the Screw Up, the Weirdo, and the Nobody—think of it as detention. AKA their worst nightmare.
That is until they realize they might get along after all, despite their differences. But what is everyone hiding and will school ever be the same?
*PW Best Books *Winter Kids' Indie Next List * JLG selection * Three starred reviews
"What at first seems like a novel solely about bullying becomes a story about six kids who find their way to true friendship and fierce loyalty, and why restorative justice is worth the time and effort it takes." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A timely, introspective whodunit with a lot of heart." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"Levy writes in an easy style with laugh-out-loud humor, offering characters that slowly reveal deeper complexity." —School Library Journal, starred review
Frequently asked questions
Is It Wasn't Me appropriate for a 7-year-old?
The book includes a subplot where a character's photography project is vandalized, which can be considered a form of violence. Additionally, there is mention of a climactic fight that escalates rivalry among characters, indicating some level of physical conflict. No genuinely frightening content is present in the book. The narrative focuses on middle school dynamics and a mystery rather than horror or intense fear.
Does It Wasn't Me have violence?
The book includes a subplot where a character's photography project is vandalized, which can be considered a form of violence. Additionally, there is mention of a climactic fight that escalates rivalry among characters, indicating some level of physical conflict.
Does It Wasn't Me have scary content?
No genuinely frightening content is present in the book. The narrative focuses on middle school dynamics and a mystery rather than horror or intense fear.
Does It Wasn't Me have religious themes?
No religious content in the book itself. The search results mention the author's background and other unrelated topics, but do not provide evidence of religious practices or themes in the narrative.
Does It Wasn't Me have racial/cultural content?
While the book features characters of different races, race is not a central theme or plot element. The narrative does not explore racial issues or discrimination explicitly.
Does It Wasn't Me have profanity?
No profanity is mentioned in the book. The search results do not indicate the presence of any strong language or inappropriate terms.
Does It Wasn't Me have climate change?
No climate themes are present in the book. The search results reference unrelated topics about climate science but do not indicate any relevant content in the narrative.
Does It Wasn't Me have sexual identity?
No sexual content is present in the book. The search results do not indicate any explicit sexual themes or situations within the narrative.
Does It Wasn't Me have gender roles?
The book does not actively discuss or critique gender roles. It features a diverse cast of characters but does not promote traditional or modern gender expectations.
Does It Wasn't Me have lgbtq+ themes?
No LGBTQ+ themes are explicitly present in the book. The search results primarily reference external sources related to LGBTQ+ media and personalities, not the book's content itself.
