Down Sand Mountain

It’s the fall of 1966, and twelve-year-old Dewey Turner is determined to start the school year right. No more being the butt of every joke. He’ll be cool—a Lone Wolf like his older brother, Wayne. But an accident with shoe polish dashes these hopes—and earns Dewey his worst nickname yet. He finds an unlikely friend in Darla Turkel, the only person at Sand Mountain High who is more of an outcast than he is. Through their friendship, Dewey comes to learn a whole lot about his small town, and about the world outside it, too: things about racism and segregation, secrets, and standing up for what’s right.

“There is neither too much nostalgia nor message, and readers will be haunted by the drama of harsh secrets close to home.” —Booklist (starred review)

“Watkins pulls off an incredible feat in this novel capturing the racial prejudices and Vietnam War tensions of the era.” —Voice of Youth Advocates