<P>Increasingly alienated from his widowed father, Vernon joins his friends in ridiculing the neighborhood outcasts'Maxine, an alcoholic prone to outrageous behavior, and Ronald, her retarded son. But when a social service agency tries to put Ronald into a special home, Vernon fights against the move.</P> <P> <awards> 1994 Newbery Honor Book<br>Notable Children's Books of 1994 (ALA)<br>1994 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA)<br>1994 Young Adult Editors' Choices (BL)<br>1994 Books for the Teen Age (NY Public Library)<br>Young Adult Choices for 1995 (IRA)</awards>