<b>“In the spirit of [Walter Dean Myers’s] <i>Monste</i>r meeting <i>The Catcher in the Rye</i>, Goodman’s masterful story will remain with the reader long after the last page, echoing the raw truth that perhaps a real man is one who is both brave and scared.” —Ruta Sepetys, author of Between Shades of Gray</b><br><br><br>In an environment where kindness equals weakness, how do those who care survive?<br><br>Shawn Goodman will capture your heart with this gritty, honest, and moving story about a boy struggling to learn about friendship, brotherhood, and manhood in a society where violence is the answer to every problem.<br><br><br><b>A Tayshas Reading List Pick</b><br> <b>An ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book</b><br> <br> “Shawn Goodman takes us inside the gritty world of our juvenile justice system with the verve of a master storyteller.” —Jordan Sonnenblick, author of <u>Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie</u><br> <br> “A gripping story of a boy’s climb to manhood on his own terms.” —Paul Volponi, author of <u>The Final Four</u><br> <u> </u><br> “The reader will be seized by [the boy’s] plight and his determination not only to survive, but to better himself.” —Todd Strasser, author of <u>Give a Boy a Gun</u><br> <br> “<u>Kindness for Weakness</u> is a daring, dazzling leap into the dark passage that is the journey to manhood.” —Paul Griffin, author of <u>The Orange Houses</u><br> <br> “Gripping action, gritty dialogue, vivid characters, and palpable tension permeate the brief chapters of James’s powerful, honest, compelling narrative.” —<u>School Library Journal</u>