HAWKS READ

 Novels for 7th grade:

When Ricky Diaz discovers that his mother - whose death he'd thought was accidental- was actually murdered by drug dealers, he's desperat for revenge.  but his father, an ex-drug-enforcement agent, refuses the mission the DEA now offers: to steal an airplane with an American0made radar detector that the cartel uses to smuggle drugs from Mexico. 

        Ricky decides to take matters into his own hands.  He runs away to Mexico, disguising himself as one of the rateros, or street children.  Life on the streets is hard, though, and he's barely surviving when he meets Soledad, a wily but kindhearted ratera.  With her help, he must now find a way to get into the drug cartel's compound and take the plane-or end up as yet another casualty in the raging drug war.  (from the back cover of the paperback edition) 

"Fifteen-year-old Sean hates the world.  After all, with two deadbeat parent, he's got no one to look up to and nothing left to lose- so why not trash eveerything?  Then he gets caught.  suspended from school and with a mounting police record, the only way for Sean to pay his dues is to do community service on Mr. Hassler's farm.  He can do just what he has to, or he can confront the mess his life has become.  It's his choice..."  (from the back cover of the paperback)