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Zero Tolerance
Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother's lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise, her beloved principal places her in in-school suspension and sets a hearing for her expulsion, citing the school's ironclad no weapons policy. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who's known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he's not the person she assumed he would be--and that the lines between good and bad aren't as clear as she once thought. Claudia Mills brings another compelling school story to life with Zero Tolerance.
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
44 people are currently reading
956 people want to read
About the author
Claudia Mills
84 books135 followersClaudia Mills is the author of Nixie Ness, Cooking Star, 7 x 9 = Trouble!, Zero Tolerance, Write This Down, and many other books for children. She was born in New York City in 1954. She received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College, her master's degree from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University. She also received an M.L.S. degree from the University of Maryland, with a concentration in children's literature. She had a second career as a professor of philosophy at the Colorado at Boulder, until leaving that career in 2014 to write full time. She now teaches in the graduate program in children's literature at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. All of her books have been written between 5 and 7 in the morning while drinking Swiss Miss hot chocolate.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/claudi...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/claudi...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 266 reviews
April 17, 2013
I really wanted to like Zero Tolerance. I was ready to like it. I tried to like it. And then…I just couldn’t like it.
Normally, I’m a huge fan of Claudia Mills’ stories—especially her stories about underdogs. So maybe that’s the first thing that went wrong for me: Sierra Shepard, at least when we first meet her, is not an underdog. She’s actually kind of intolerable: persnickety, and an uber-good girl who looks down her nose at those she perceives to be the bad kids.
But the tables are soon to be turned on Sierra when she discovers a paring knife in her lunch and then, in a twist, is punished as part of her school’s zero tolerance policy. Suddenly, Sierra finds herself in the role of “bad kid,” and that turns out to be a perspective-changer.
So yes, there is character growth in this story that I appreciated. And as a former uber-good girl, I also related to the horrible injustice of being made “the example.” (What is it about certain elementary and middle school teachers who seem to delight in making examples out of the good kids, the moment they make the slightest misstep?)
Still, Sierra’s story never really resonated for me. And to be honest, I blame the setup. Mills, who is usually so deft with her characterizations, lays it on thick with Sierra. I felt like I had no reason to root for her after Chapter 1. She was too perfect. And she just kind of annoyed me.
Perhaps Mills’ intended audience—10 and 11-year-old girls , who’ve found themselves on the receiving end of unjust punishment—would have a different reaction to Zero Tolerance. Given how much I’ve liked Mills as an author in the past, I certainly wish I had.
Normally, I’m a huge fan of Claudia Mills’ stories—especially her stories about underdogs. So maybe that’s the first thing that went wrong for me: Sierra Shepard, at least when we first meet her, is not an underdog. She’s actually kind of intolerable: persnickety, and an uber-good girl who looks down her nose at those she perceives to be the bad kids.
But the tables are soon to be turned on Sierra when she discovers a paring knife in her lunch and then, in a twist, is punished as part of her school’s zero tolerance policy. Suddenly, Sierra finds herself in the role of “bad kid,” and that turns out to be a perspective-changer.
So yes, there is character growth in this story that I appreciated. And as a former uber-good girl, I also related to the horrible injustice of being made “the example.” (What is it about certain elementary and middle school teachers who seem to delight in making examples out of the good kids, the moment they make the slightest misstep?)
Still, Sierra’s story never really resonated for me. And to be honest, I blame the setup. Mills, who is usually so deft with her characterizations, lays it on thick with Sierra. I felt like I had no reason to root for her after Chapter 1. She was too perfect. And she just kind of annoyed me.
Perhaps Mills’ intended audience—10 and 11-year-old girls , who’ve found themselves on the receiving end of unjust punishment—would have a different reaction to Zero Tolerance. Given how much I’ve liked Mills as an author in the past, I certainly wish I had.
September 11, 2013
Claudia Mills stops by Pass the Chiclets for an interview and a giveaway! :D
I received this ARC before the pub date, obviously, and I let it fall by the wayside--something I regret immensely now, because holy freaking goodness this book is good.
Claudia Mills absolutely nails the voice. Sierra is a perfect student, yes but she's also eminently relatable and simply wonderful to read about. Her third-person point-of-view never feels distanced; it almost feels like a first-person narration, which in itself should be an excellent indicator of how well-developed Sierra is.
This novel is somewhat short, so we don't get as much pagetime for Sierra's friends; however, they're all distinguishable and distinctive, even in something as basic as their individual texts. Sierra's mother and father have perhaps the second-most interesting dynamic of all relationships, second only to Sierra's relationship with Luke. Because Sierra + Luke? Well, this is how MG friendship-to-romance is done, guys. (It makes me want toreturn to middle school and find my own delinquent crush.)
The plot is tidy and realistic, and it wraps up almost too soon--but it leaves the reader with just the right amount of room to imagine all sorts of possibilities. And now I'm going to use the remaining room in this review to quote. Please indulge me. :)
*Review originally published at Pass the Chiclets.
I received this ARC before the pub date, obviously, and I let it fall by the wayside--something I regret immensely now, because holy freaking goodness this book is good.
Claudia Mills absolutely nails the voice. Sierra is a perfect student, yes but she's also eminently relatable and simply wonderful to read about. Her third-person point-of-view never feels distanced; it almost feels like a first-person narration, which in itself should be an excellent indicator of how well-developed Sierra is.
This novel is somewhat short, so we don't get as much pagetime for Sierra's friends; however, they're all distinguishable and distinctive, even in something as basic as their individual texts. Sierra's mother and father have perhaps the second-most interesting dynamic of all relationships, second only to Sierra's relationship with Luke. Because Sierra + Luke? Well, this is how MG friendship-to-romance is done, guys. (It makes me want toreturn to middle school and find my own delinquent crush.)
The plot is tidy and realistic, and it wraps up almost too soon--but it leaves the reader with just the right amount of room to imagine all sorts of possibilities. And now I'm going to use the remaining room in this review to quote. Please indulge me. :)
For the second time that morning, Sierra's eyes stung with tears.
Luke looked up from whatever he was killing and dismembering in his game.
"What is it now?"
"I didn't get to fire my pot today," Sierra told him.
Luke shook his head as if to clear some obstruction from his ears that was keeping him from hearing her properly. "You smoke pot?"
"Not that kind of pot! The clay pot I was making in art class. Today was the day it was supposed to go to the kiln to be fired."
Luke still looked puzzled. "And you're crying about it?"
Sierra nodded. "I loved my pot."
"You loved your pot," Luke repeated. "Okay."
"You don't love anything about school, do you?" Not that it was any of her business, but if she wasn't going to be trying to keep up with her schoolwork anymore, what else was there to do except make herself sad over her poor, orphaned pot or talk to Luke Bishop?
"Can't say that I do."
"Did you ever? Like in kindergarten? Did you like being in the Pilgrim play at Thanksgiving? Or making a cast of your hand in plaster of paris to give to your parents at Christmas?"
"I liked one day," Luke said. "It was called Backwards Day. We put our clothes on backwards, and zipped up our coats in the back. And the whole day went in backwards order. We started with resting time instead of ending with resting time, and we ended with the Pledge of Allegiance instead of starting with it. I thought it was totally cool, Backwards Day."
"So what happened after that? To make you stop liking school?"
Luke shrugged. "The rest was all Forwards Days. I dont' do so well on Forwards Days." (p.70 - 80)
"Luke!"
His expression had changed from scornful anger to something that looked like hope. Hope that she'd look at him the way he had seen her look at Colin [her former crush]?
"Luke..."
Impulsively she hugged him, even though she didn't want to give him the wrong idea, the idea that she liked him, as in liked him liked him.
But as he hugged her back--he was taller than COlin and broader shouldered--as he stood, not hugging her anymore but just holding her, she worried that she might be giving him the right idea. (p. 193)
*Review originally published at Pass the Chiclets.
July 11, 2013
Richie's Picks: ZERO TOLERANCE by Claudia Mills, Farrar Straus Giroux, June 2013, 240p., ISBN: 978-0-374-3312-6
"Goody two goody two goody goody two shoes
Goody two goody two goody goody two shoes"
-- Adam Ant
"Sierra opened the Velcro flap on her lunch bag. Hungry or not, she'd better eat something, or her stomach might start rumbling in French class, right as she was sitting next to Colin.
"She opened her sandwich and was about to take the first bite when she looked at it more closely. It was ham and cheese, not plain cheese. She must have grabbed her mother's identical lunch bag by mistake: Sierra hadn't eaten ham or pork or bacon ever since reading Charlotte's Web back in third grade.
"'Great,' she said. 'I took my mother's lunch, and she took mine.'
"Irritated, Sierra dumped the contents of the lunch bag out onto the table. The loathsome sandwich, two oatmeal raisin cookies, an apple, and a paring knife to cut it with.
"Sierra stared at the knife as if a coiled serpent had appeared from her mother's lunch bag, poised and ready to spring."
Back in her school days, my daughter Rosemary would have undoubtedly (and scathingly) referred to Sierra Shepard as a "goody-goody." Given the way the adults at the school reverently treat her, some other young people might well characterize Sierra as a suck-up.
A seventh grader at Longwood Middle School, Sierra is one of those girls who is in all honor classes, is part of the Leadership Club, and sings in the school's elite a cappella choir.
And Sierra Shepard is now a student who has brought a deadly weapon to school.
"She was halfway to the door when Ms. Lin called out sharply, 'Where do you think you're going, missy?'
"Missy? Ms. Lin had never spoken to Sierra in that way."
What a great premise for a story of interest to young people that will promote critical thinking and animated discussions! Sierra immediately brings the knife over to the lunch lady, who brings Sierra to the Office. What now? Given what we've learned about her, our perception is that Sierra is totally innocent of wrongdoing. But does a goody goody get to avoid consequences for something that a less-stellar student gets an automatic suspension (or worse) for doing?
We all know from experience that while, in Sierra's case, we instinctively accept the knife's appearance as an honest and totally innocent error, so many of us would be just as quick to judge a difficult student in the identical situation as having totally made up such an implausible excuse.
I'm betting that, in fact, it's the kids who get labeled as problems who, in reading this book, will likely be the most sympathetic toward Sierra. They know all too well how rules can be stupid, how clueless adults can be so rigid and anal, and how unjust it is to never be given the benefit of the doubt.
"'Kevin Hennessey!' Ms. Wyman exclaims. I'm sure she figures it is Kevin who put the whoopee cushion on Addie's chair, because statistically speaking -- and statistics are Ms. Wyman's raison d'être (which is French for 'reason to be,' in case not knowing what something means in another language gets in the way of your following the action) -- you'd have a pretty good bet that Kevin is guilty of just about anything that happens in school."
-- from THE MISFITS by James Howe
So we have the issue of whether rules are rules, and one pays the consequences regardless of whether or not there is intent to do wrong, and we also have the issue of whether some students unfairly get pegged as trouble makers (a la Kevin Hennessey) and then get blamed for things they have not done. (Which somehow just made me think of Henry Fonda as Clarence Gideon in a movie that I'm betting Bobby Goodspeed and his dad would love to watch together.) And, as with THE MISFITS, there is an issue here with name-calling.
See how much comes out of just the first 17 pages of this story?!!! And it only gets better...
"He turned back to Mr. Granger. 'And all our students know that zero tolerance doesn't mean a slap on the wrist, writing on the chalkboard a hundred times "I will not bring a weapon to school." or a three-day in-school suspension.'
"'So it means...?'
"'Expulsion. Mandatory expulsion. It wasn't Luke Bishop, was it?' Mr. Besser asked Ms. Lin.
"'No.' Ms. Lin looked at Sierra. 'You tell him.'
"This couldn't be happening. There had to be some way to make it come out right -- there had to be.
"Sierra said, 'It was me.'"
...and it gets pretty darn funny, too! And really interesting when, during the time leading up to her expulsion hearing, Sierra has in-school suspension and thereby gets to really know the school's resident "bad boy" Luke Bishop. An absolutely killer story.
One could readily employ a tale like this as the springboard to a whole year of investigating and discussing morality and moral development and labeling and what makes for a good society.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"Goody two goody two goody goody two shoes
Goody two goody two goody goody two shoes"
-- Adam Ant
"Sierra opened the Velcro flap on her lunch bag. Hungry or not, she'd better eat something, or her stomach might start rumbling in French class, right as she was sitting next to Colin.
"She opened her sandwich and was about to take the first bite when she looked at it more closely. It was ham and cheese, not plain cheese. She must have grabbed her mother's identical lunch bag by mistake: Sierra hadn't eaten ham or pork or bacon ever since reading Charlotte's Web back in third grade.
"'Great,' she said. 'I took my mother's lunch, and she took mine.'
"Irritated, Sierra dumped the contents of the lunch bag out onto the table. The loathsome sandwich, two oatmeal raisin cookies, an apple, and a paring knife to cut it with.
"Sierra stared at the knife as if a coiled serpent had appeared from her mother's lunch bag, poised and ready to spring."
Back in her school days, my daughter Rosemary would have undoubtedly (and scathingly) referred to Sierra Shepard as a "goody-goody." Given the way the adults at the school reverently treat her, some other young people might well characterize Sierra as a suck-up.
A seventh grader at Longwood Middle School, Sierra is one of those girls who is in all honor classes, is part of the Leadership Club, and sings in the school's elite a cappella choir.
And Sierra Shepard is now a student who has brought a deadly weapon to school.
"She was halfway to the door when Ms. Lin called out sharply, 'Where do you think you're going, missy?'
"Missy? Ms. Lin had never spoken to Sierra in that way."
What a great premise for a story of interest to young people that will promote critical thinking and animated discussions! Sierra immediately brings the knife over to the lunch lady, who brings Sierra to the Office. What now? Given what we've learned about her, our perception is that Sierra is totally innocent of wrongdoing. But does a goody goody get to avoid consequences for something that a less-stellar student gets an automatic suspension (or worse) for doing?
We all know from experience that while, in Sierra's case, we instinctively accept the knife's appearance as an honest and totally innocent error, so many of us would be just as quick to judge a difficult student in the identical situation as having totally made up such an implausible excuse.
I'm betting that, in fact, it's the kids who get labeled as problems who, in reading this book, will likely be the most sympathetic toward Sierra. They know all too well how rules can be stupid, how clueless adults can be so rigid and anal, and how unjust it is to never be given the benefit of the doubt.
"'Kevin Hennessey!' Ms. Wyman exclaims. I'm sure she figures it is Kevin who put the whoopee cushion on Addie's chair, because statistically speaking -- and statistics are Ms. Wyman's raison d'être (which is French for 'reason to be,' in case not knowing what something means in another language gets in the way of your following the action) -- you'd have a pretty good bet that Kevin is guilty of just about anything that happens in school."
-- from THE MISFITS by James Howe
So we have the issue of whether rules are rules, and one pays the consequences regardless of whether or not there is intent to do wrong, and we also have the issue of whether some students unfairly get pegged as trouble makers (a la Kevin Hennessey) and then get blamed for things they have not done. (Which somehow just made me think of Henry Fonda as Clarence Gideon in a movie that I'm betting Bobby Goodspeed and his dad would love to watch together.) And, as with THE MISFITS, there is an issue here with name-calling.
See how much comes out of just the first 17 pages of this story?!!! And it only gets better...
"He turned back to Mr. Granger. 'And all our students know that zero tolerance doesn't mean a slap on the wrist, writing on the chalkboard a hundred times "I will not bring a weapon to school." or a three-day in-school suspension.'
"'So it means...?'
"'Expulsion. Mandatory expulsion. It wasn't Luke Bishop, was it?' Mr. Besser asked Ms. Lin.
"'No.' Ms. Lin looked at Sierra. 'You tell him.'
"This couldn't be happening. There had to be some way to make it come out right -- there had to be.
"Sierra said, 'It was me.'"
...and it gets pretty darn funny, too! And really interesting when, during the time leading up to her expulsion hearing, Sierra has in-school suspension and thereby gets to really know the school's resident "bad boy" Luke Bishop. An absolutely killer story.
One could readily employ a tale like this as the springboard to a whole year of investigating and discussing morality and moral development and labeling and what makes for a good society.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_... http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
June 2, 2015
Laaaaaame.
No, like seriously, the whole story was pretty dull and boring.
Sierra Shepard is the perfect student, but one day, when she accidentally brings her mother's lunch bag to school instead of her own, she finds a paring knife inside. Being the good girl she is, Sierra turns it in at the office, and intends to go back to class, but to her surprise, the principal sends her to in-school suspension and arranges a hearing for her expulsion.
I'm not really sure what I want to say about this book. I was planning on giving it 2.5 or 3 stars, but the ending completely ruined it for me.
The characters were okay, but they were pretty boring like the rest of the story. My favorite character was Luke Bishop because I love reading about "bad boys" who actually turn out to be good. And Sierra and Luke would be so cute together!
In my opinion, the writing itself was a bit young, but it was bearable and I got through the entire book. I wish the characters were a little older and it was directed more at young adults than at middle schoolers.
Overall, a decent book. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone that I know though.
No, like seriously, the whole story was pretty dull and boring.
Sierra Shepard is the perfect student, but one day, when she accidentally brings her mother's lunch bag to school instead of her own, she finds a paring knife inside. Being the good girl she is, Sierra turns it in at the office, and intends to go back to class, but to her surprise, the principal sends her to in-school suspension and arranges a hearing for her expulsion.
I'm not really sure what I want to say about this book. I was planning on giving it 2.5 or 3 stars, but the ending completely ruined it for me.
The characters were okay, but they were pretty boring like the rest of the story. My favorite character was Luke Bishop because I love reading about "bad boys" who actually turn out to be good. And Sierra and Luke would be so cute together!
In my opinion, the writing itself was a bit young, but it was bearable and I got through the entire book. I wish the characters were a little older and it was directed more at young adults than at middle schoolers.
Overall, a decent book. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone that I know though.
August 9, 2013
There are few middle grade stories that really capture my interest, as I'm an avid romance fan, but something about Zero Tolerance really just spoke to me. Maybe it's because I'd never read a book that brought this topic up and looked at it from a student's point-of-view, or maybe it's because even from the summary, I saw a lot of myself in Sierra's character.
Sierra Shephard is up for expulsion from her school for bringing a paring knife in her lunchbox. Sierra is completely torn up about this as she's been the perfect student, and a good person all-around and is being heavily punished for an accident that she immediately tried to rectify. The small mistake of grabbing her mother's lunchbox rather than her own has quickly unravelled her life. She is stuck with an in-school suspension, the media is constantly around due to the action of her lawyer father and the boy she always thought was bad turns out to be a bit different than she really perceived. Though a harrowing experience, Sierra not only learns the real difference between right and wrong, but that people aren't always what they seem to be.
This book really got to me. I immediately was able to identify with Sierra--not because of what's happening to her, but because she reminded me a lot of myself at that age. Always trying to do the right thing, be a good person and an exemplary student. Her story is very heartbreaking, and very interesting to watch develop. She's unsure of how to handle it, because she's always had a plan and her road has always been set. This accident really throws her, and everyone around her through a ringer.
My only really struggle with this novel was that Sierra didn't really feel like a seventh grader. In a lot of ways, Sierra seems very mature, but the actions she and some of those around her exhibited seemed more elementary. I kept believing she was actually in fifth grade, before reminding myself that she was in middle school. Something about her thought process just didn't fit that age group for me. Maybe it's just because the seventh graders I know are . The other characters that we were given a glimpse of didn't do much for me. I liked how involved Sierra's parents were, and how though they weren't perfect (Mr. Shephard was very often rude and ignorant), they obviously love each other and their daughter. Sierra's mom especially hit home for me. Her compassion for her daughter was much like my own mother's and it was a wonderful thing to see. I love reading books with present parents. Luke, the troubled boy that Sierra slowly befriends, and Sierra's girlfriends were very one-dimensional as well. They didn't add a whole lot of depth to the story, thus their roles were never really expanded on. I liked what I saw of them, but wish they had played a bigger part and really helped Sierra get through this tough time.
The plot moved very quickly, which quite understandable because if I got the time line correctly, Zero Tolerance took place over the course of a week and a half. It is a very short novel, too, but the power behind it was not affected by its length. I think Mills handles this pretty delicate subject well, and bring a fine point into play: What happens to those who those who break the zero tolerance policy by mistake?
This was my first book by Claudia Mills, and based on how I felt about Zero Tolerance, it won't be my last. This author made a real impression on me with this extremely relevant story. I will be sharing this will my step-sister, who is starting middle school in the fall. I hope she, and all other readers, can really take something away from this story.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.
This review can be seen here on my blog as well.
Sierra Shephard is up for expulsion from her school for bringing a paring knife in her lunchbox. Sierra is completely torn up about this as she's been the perfect student, and a good person all-around and is being heavily punished for an accident that she immediately tried to rectify. The small mistake of grabbing her mother's lunchbox rather than her own has quickly unravelled her life. She is stuck with an in-school suspension, the media is constantly around due to the action of her lawyer father and the boy she always thought was bad turns out to be a bit different than she really perceived. Though a harrowing experience, Sierra not only learns the real difference between right and wrong, but that people aren't always what they seem to be.
This book really got to me. I immediately was able to identify with Sierra--not because of what's happening to her, but because she reminded me a lot of myself at that age. Always trying to do the right thing, be a good person and an exemplary student. Her story is very heartbreaking, and very interesting to watch develop. She's unsure of how to handle it, because she's always had a plan and her road has always been set. This accident really throws her, and everyone around her through a ringer.
My only really struggle with this novel was that Sierra didn't really feel like a seventh grader. In a lot of ways, Sierra seems very mature, but the actions she and some of those around her exhibited seemed more elementary. I kept believing she was actually in fifth grade, before reminding myself that she was in middle school. Something about her thought process just didn't fit that age group for me. Maybe it's just because the seventh graders I know are . The other characters that we were given a glimpse of didn't do much for me. I liked how involved Sierra's parents were, and how though they weren't perfect (Mr. Shephard was very often rude and ignorant), they obviously love each other and their daughter. Sierra's mom especially hit home for me. Her compassion for her daughter was much like my own mother's and it was a wonderful thing to see. I love reading books with present parents. Luke, the troubled boy that Sierra slowly befriends, and Sierra's girlfriends were very one-dimensional as well. They didn't add a whole lot of depth to the story, thus their roles were never really expanded on. I liked what I saw of them, but wish they had played a bigger part and really helped Sierra get through this tough time.
The plot moved very quickly, which quite understandable because if I got the time line correctly, Zero Tolerance took place over the course of a week and a half. It is a very short novel, too, but the power behind it was not affected by its length. I think Mills handles this pretty delicate subject well, and bring a fine point into play: What happens to those who those who break the zero tolerance policy by mistake?
This was my first book by Claudia Mills, and based on how I felt about Zero Tolerance, it won't be my last. This author made a real impression on me with this extremely relevant story. I will be sharing this will my step-sister, who is starting middle school in the fall. I hope she, and all other readers, can really take something away from this story.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher for my honest opinion and review.
This review can be seen here on my blog as well.
June 24, 2013
3.5
First Thoughts
I love the whole premise behind this book! Plus I’m a new lover of all thing Middle Grade so Zero Tolerance was at the top of my list of Must Reads!
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book! I loved that Zero Tolerance explored the blurred lines of what it right, what is wrong, and what is fair. I love that this shows that there is no black and white, there is a gray area.
Sierra Shepard is your average goody-goody seventh grader. She makes straight A’s, she has great friends and parents, and she follows the rules. The Rules in her school is a Zero Tolerance policy, for both weapons and drugs. That means expulsion if you are caught with either, no exceptions!! So when Sierra opens her lunch and sees that she has her mother’s instead, along with a small knife to cut her apple, she follows the rules and turns it in. But rules are rules and there are no exceptions, even if it was an honest mistaken and she turned it in. Now she is stuck in class suspension until this matter can be resolved. She’s with the resident school baddies and she learns that everything isn’t what it seems, rules sometimes don’t work in your favor, and that life sometimes isn’t fair.
Characters
Sierra- the “Anal” goody-goody who has never been in trouble in her life, she was a great character because you see her grow from beginning to end. She learns a lot of hard lessons throughout the book, and had to grow up fast. At the beginning she was very naïve but towards the end she learned a lot of valuable lessons.
Luke – resident bad boy! He basically does what he wants, when he wants, because he can. He has learned a lot of lessons about the world around him at such an early age so he helps show Sierra that sometimes life isn’t fair. He basically is living up to the “self-fulfilling prophecy”. He’s doing what everyone thinks he should do because they already have made up their mind about him! He’s not really bad just misunderstood!
Story
What I loved most about this book was the inter-struggle that the characters went through! They had to deal with the question of what is right, what is wrong, and what’s fair! I feel that at the end every character learned that mistakes are going to happen, and you are going to do something you’re not proud of, and things you regret; but you learn that all actions have consequences and that the world is made up of grey, and you can correct some of your mistakes.
Overall, Zero Tolerance was a great book. The writing was good, I think Mills portrayed the middle school voice well and the message was clear and very informative. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending! It wasn’t bad I just had a different idea in my head that I sort of ran with, but I was also not disappointed with the outcome! I would recommend Zero Tolerance to all who enjoy MG books and to kids who are around fourth grade and up!
First Thoughts
I love the whole premise behind this book! Plus I’m a new lover of all thing Middle Grade so Zero Tolerance was at the top of my list of Must Reads!
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book! I loved that Zero Tolerance explored the blurred lines of what it right, what is wrong, and what is fair. I love that this shows that there is no black and white, there is a gray area.
Sierra Shepard is your average goody-goody seventh grader. She makes straight A’s, she has great friends and parents, and she follows the rules. The Rules in her school is a Zero Tolerance policy, for both weapons and drugs. That means expulsion if you are caught with either, no exceptions!! So when Sierra opens her lunch and sees that she has her mother’s instead, along with a small knife to cut her apple, she follows the rules and turns it in. But rules are rules and there are no exceptions, even if it was an honest mistaken and she turned it in. Now she is stuck in class suspension until this matter can be resolved. She’s with the resident school baddies and she learns that everything isn’t what it seems, rules sometimes don’t work in your favor, and that life sometimes isn’t fair.
Characters
Sierra- the “Anal” goody-goody who has never been in trouble in her life, she was a great character because you see her grow from beginning to end. She learns a lot of hard lessons throughout the book, and had to grow up fast. At the beginning she was very naïve but towards the end she learned a lot of valuable lessons.
Luke – resident bad boy! He basically does what he wants, when he wants, because he can. He has learned a lot of lessons about the world around him at such an early age so he helps show Sierra that sometimes life isn’t fair. He basically is living up to the “self-fulfilling prophecy”. He’s doing what everyone thinks he should do because they already have made up their mind about him! He’s not really bad just misunderstood!
Story
What I loved most about this book was the inter-struggle that the characters went through! They had to deal with the question of what is right, what is wrong, and what’s fair! I feel that at the end every character learned that mistakes are going to happen, and you are going to do something you’re not proud of, and things you regret; but you learn that all actions have consequences and that the world is made up of grey, and you can correct some of your mistakes.
Overall, Zero Tolerance was a great book. The writing was good, I think Mills portrayed the middle school voice well and the message was clear and very informative. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending! It wasn’t bad I just had a different idea in my head that I sort of ran with, but I was also not disappointed with the outcome! I would recommend Zero Tolerance to all who enjoy MG books and to kids who are around fourth grade and up!
September 3, 2013
Honor student Sierra is the kind of girl who will go to the Principal's office to suggest a new club. So when she accidentally takes her mom's lunch and finds a paring knife in it, she immediately goes lets school staff know. And finds herself facing expulsion because of the school's zero tolerance rules.
Unlike so many books, Sierra's parents are prominently featured as involved parents. Sierra's lawyer dad is determined to force the school to use common sense. Sierra's artist mom, on the other hand, is ready to send Sierra to a prominent arts school.
While waiting for her expulsion hearing, Sierra spends a week in in-school suspension. There she meets some "bad" kids and learns some things about being a "bad" kid.
Good for 4th-7th grade.
Unlike so many books, Sierra's parents are prominently featured as involved parents. Sierra's lawyer dad is determined to force the school to use common sense. Sierra's artist mom, on the other hand, is ready to send Sierra to a prominent arts school.
While waiting for her expulsion hearing, Sierra spends a week in in-school suspension. There she meets some "bad" kids and learns some things about being a "bad" kid.
Good for 4th-7th grade.
August 30, 2015
i read this because it is a virginia readers' choice book for this school year. i wasn't really excited about reading it. it didn't take long to get into it. (i read it in one day.) i really liked the main character, sierra, and it was easy to see how her mistake got blown way out of proportion due to the school's zero tolerance policy. sierra's dad reminded me of my husband, so that was fun! i liked getting to know the "bad boy" and seeing the relationship between him and sierra develop during their time in suspension. this book makes you think and would generate some great, meaningful discussion in middle school. i will definitely recommend it to teachers!
November 3, 2015
I think this book was my favorite by this author because I like mystery genres. This book is about a girl who accidentally swapped lunch bags with her mom and there was a plastic knife in the lunch bag. She then, does the responsible thing, turns it in to the lunch lady at school. The lady then turns her in to the principle. She gets in-school-suspension and has an expulsion hearing. She then is found not guilty and can return to school.
September 24, 2015
This was a good read. I liked Sierra and I really liked Luke. I could have lived without the Colin sub-plot but overall I thought it was a nicely balanced book. I finished it thinking the same thing I think every time I read a book that takes place in a public school: thank goodness I was home-schooled.
September 6, 2015
Zero Tolerance is a great novel for middle school students as it takes a close look at what is right, wrong, fair, and unfair, and how, often, those lines can be blurred. I thoroughly enjoyed this straightforward little book that sticks to the storyline.
April 20, 2017
Perfect for MS students and an exceptional lesson embedded within the story.
May 15, 2017
Not recommended. Great discussion points are lost in an overly dramatic tale that doesn't hold together.
October 6, 2024
This was an excellent book that firmly addresses the lack of common sense with many of today's school policies and how the system fails many kids or puts undue pressure on their families. This is a topic near and dear to me because, while I am not ancient, I was also a victim of a bizarre school structure growing up in this region, and now work in the system with mental health counseling and hear so many stories from intakes with saddened and overburdened parents confused and helpful with schools here.
Beyond that, though, it delves into those who are painted as the "good kids" and the "bad kids", and those kids who give up basically and are only used to negative attention. It deals with the personality differences of these kids, but also of adults who clash with irony and hypocrisy where this realistically is mixed with compassion and love ultimately at the same time when things work out. Overburned and hated school staff who end up hating students is another thing often not discussed in books, especially children's books, but is another very real societal issue that happens quite a bit.
So, kudos for the author for being blunt and honest without being overinflated. She did not make things melodramatic or unrealistic really, kept to situations that actually occur while digging into more issues at once to keep the complexity lifelike and interesting. Writing style is well done and well absorbed.
Beyond that, though, it delves into those who are painted as the "good kids" and the "bad kids", and those kids who give up basically and are only used to negative attention. It deals with the personality differences of these kids, but also of adults who clash with irony and hypocrisy where this realistically is mixed with compassion and love ultimately at the same time when things work out. Overburned and hated school staff who end up hating students is another thing often not discussed in books, especially children's books, but is another very real societal issue that happens quite a bit.
So, kudos for the author for being blunt and honest without being overinflated. She did not make things melodramatic or unrealistic really, kept to situations that actually occur while digging into more issues at once to keep the complexity lifelike and interesting. Writing style is well done and well absorbed.
November 15, 2018
Absolutely loved this book!
The author nailed the MG voice. Each character was completely developed and their actions totally came from who they were and were consistent for each character (no stupid coincidences or "where the heck did that come from?" issues).
Read this in one sitting and would totally recommend to all MG readers! Was the author a teacher? Because she really "gets" the school environment!
The author nailed the MG voice. Each character was completely developed and their actions totally came from who they were and were consistent for each character (no stupid coincidences or "where the heck did that come from?" issues).
Read this in one sitting and would totally recommend to all MG readers! Was the author a teacher? Because she really "gets" the school environment!
January 3, 2019
I love how this book is super relatable and has lots of suspense to keep you reading! I would recommend this book to any one from 9 all the way to even 12 years old. This book has romance,suspense and even a little mystery!
September 8, 2019
I love the book and how empowering it was.
June 17, 2013
My Thoughts
The synopsis of this story intrigued me. I understand the seriousness of the issue at hand, but it seemed a little excessive to me to think that this student who has never done anything wrong, and even turns in the knife when she realized the mistake, should face expulsion. Not to worry though, the way that this book is done it makes sense. With a zero tolerance policy in the school, it doesn't matter if it was an accident or even that she turned it in. The fact that she brought it to school was enough. I found myself angry at the situation and hoping that everything got resolved for her.
Sierra is a good kid. She doesn't get into trouble, she gets good grades, and she helps the school with new initiatives to try to make the school and education better. She is the last person who would ever break a rule. In fact, she turns the knife in as soon as she notices she has her mom's lunch and not her own thinking it's the right thing to do. When they call her parents and start treating her coldly, she is confused. She doesn't understand how she can be in trouble for trying to do the right thing. Media gets involved and it becomes big news. She actually takes it all pretty well. At first I thought that maybe for a 12 year old she seemed a bit mature, but as I learned about her it made sense. She has a good head on her shoulders. As much as her situation sucked, I loved the things that she learned through the experience. She grew as a person and learned to not be so narrow minded about everything.
Sierra's father is a lawyer and he has connections so he is able to make the situation get media coverage. Sierra talks to reporters, ends up on the news, and has a bunch of support behind her. Not that any of that makes a difference to the principal at all. He needs to stick to the policies in place and there are no exceptions. While all of this goes on and Sierra is stuck in suspension, she actually becomes friends with the last person she thought she ever would. Luke is a major trouble maker, but she discovers that he's not all bad, and he is even willing to help her. I can't say that I agree with some of the ways her dad went about getting things resolved, but I do think that Sierra learned a great lesson out of it all.
This was a great book. I was invested in Sierra's story and needed to know the outcome. There were some great secondary characters too, and I think they really helped to round out the story and make Sierra the person she was. I wish we had been able to get to know her personally a little better, but the pending expulsion really kept us from getting to know too much about her outside of that situation. I felt like we got to know Luke and her family more than we got to know her. I liked the little glimpes that we did get though. Overall I really did like this though. I think that it had some good messages in it. Some subtle, some more obvious, but all really great!
* An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.
The synopsis of this story intrigued me. I understand the seriousness of the issue at hand, but it seemed a little excessive to me to think that this student who has never done anything wrong, and even turns in the knife when she realized the mistake, should face expulsion. Not to worry though, the way that this book is done it makes sense. With a zero tolerance policy in the school, it doesn't matter if it was an accident or even that she turned it in. The fact that she brought it to school was enough. I found myself angry at the situation and hoping that everything got resolved for her.
Sierra is a good kid. She doesn't get into trouble, she gets good grades, and she helps the school with new initiatives to try to make the school and education better. She is the last person who would ever break a rule. In fact, she turns the knife in as soon as she notices she has her mom's lunch and not her own thinking it's the right thing to do. When they call her parents and start treating her coldly, she is confused. She doesn't understand how she can be in trouble for trying to do the right thing. Media gets involved and it becomes big news. She actually takes it all pretty well. At first I thought that maybe for a 12 year old she seemed a bit mature, but as I learned about her it made sense. She has a good head on her shoulders. As much as her situation sucked, I loved the things that she learned through the experience. She grew as a person and learned to not be so narrow minded about everything.
Sierra's father is a lawyer and he has connections so he is able to make the situation get media coverage. Sierra talks to reporters, ends up on the news, and has a bunch of support behind her. Not that any of that makes a difference to the principal at all. He needs to stick to the policies in place and there are no exceptions. While all of this goes on and Sierra is stuck in suspension, she actually becomes friends with the last person she thought she ever would. Luke is a major trouble maker, but she discovers that he's not all bad, and he is even willing to help her. I can't say that I agree with some of the ways her dad went about getting things resolved, but I do think that Sierra learned a great lesson out of it all.
This was a great book. I was invested in Sierra's story and needed to know the outcome. There were some great secondary characters too, and I think they really helped to round out the story and make Sierra the person she was. I wish we had been able to get to know her personally a little better, but the pending expulsion really kept us from getting to know too much about her outside of that situation. I felt like we got to know Luke and her family more than we got to know her. I liked the little glimpes that we did get though. Overall I really did like this though. I think that it had some good messages in it. Some subtle, some more obvious, but all really great!
* An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher for an honest review. I did not receive any compensation.
February 2, 2014
Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard is an all-A student, chosen for the school's elite choir, a student leader, beloved on the principal, Mr Besser. So when she discovers she has brought her mother's lunch to school instead of her own and that there is a paring knife in the bag to cut the apple her mother has included, she immediately takes the knife to the head of the cafeteria and explains that she has accidentally broken a school rule. No knives.
The inflexible cafeteria head takes Sierra and the knife to the principal's office. And Mr Besser comes down on Sierra as if she had brought to school a butcher knife intending to attack somebody. The school has a Zero Tolerance policy and the penalty for bringing a knife to school is expulsion. Sierra is in shock. She agrees with zero tolerance but this is inadvertent, an accident by a student who is clearly not intent on harming anyone.
Nonetheless, she is put in the limbo of in-school suspension until a hearing on her case can be held. And there to her surprise she becomes friends with Luke Bishop, the school bad boy for whom suspension is commonplace. And she finds she has rather a lot in common with him and he's not such a bad sort after all.
Meanwhile her father, a hard-charging and very successful trial lawyer, is putting together a case to present at her hearing. He knows something about Mr Besser that may make him change his mind about recommending Sierra be expelled. Her friends, indeed half the student body and four teachers have signed a petition demanding that the case against Sierra be dismissed, but Mr Besser continues to maintain that zero means zero and intent doesn't matter.
So we move toward the hearing with Sierra pining for a boy in the choir on whom she has a crush, becoming fond of a juvenile delinquent, and the choir itself choosing to boycott a state-wide performance in protest at Sierra's being excluded.
A great story with the reader - at least this reader - being sympathetic with both the Zero Tolerance policy that has turned the school around and made it one of the best in the district and with Sierra, who has done nothing wrong and is being punished because her mother accidentally grabbed the wrong lunch bag.
One problem. All the adults are pompous, flaccid, misguided, or hypocritical with the exception of an assistant in the principal's office who is sympathetic with Sierra but weak. Her mother is a talentless artsy type and her father a Type AAA. Mr Besser is a hypocrite and the choir director is a wimp. And while the moral -- or one of the morals -- of the story is the importance of using common sense and having concern for others, the book also teaches that students know better than adults and disobeying rules intentionally (as well as accidentally) is also to be viewed with tolerance.
But none of this is heavy-handed and the characters are interesting and sometimes amusing. The book is intended for students in grades 3-7, ages 8-12.
The inflexible cafeteria head takes Sierra and the knife to the principal's office. And Mr Besser comes down on Sierra as if she had brought to school a butcher knife intending to attack somebody. The school has a Zero Tolerance policy and the penalty for bringing a knife to school is expulsion. Sierra is in shock. She agrees with zero tolerance but this is inadvertent, an accident by a student who is clearly not intent on harming anyone.
Nonetheless, she is put in the limbo of in-school suspension until a hearing on her case can be held. And there to her surprise she becomes friends with Luke Bishop, the school bad boy for whom suspension is commonplace. And she finds she has rather a lot in common with him and he's not such a bad sort after all.
Meanwhile her father, a hard-charging and very successful trial lawyer, is putting together a case to present at her hearing. He knows something about Mr Besser that may make him change his mind about recommending Sierra be expelled. Her friends, indeed half the student body and four teachers have signed a petition demanding that the case against Sierra be dismissed, but Mr Besser continues to maintain that zero means zero and intent doesn't matter.
So we move toward the hearing with Sierra pining for a boy in the choir on whom she has a crush, becoming fond of a juvenile delinquent, and the choir itself choosing to boycott a state-wide performance in protest at Sierra's being excluded.
A great story with the reader - at least this reader - being sympathetic with both the Zero Tolerance policy that has turned the school around and made it one of the best in the district and with Sierra, who has done nothing wrong and is being punished because her mother accidentally grabbed the wrong lunch bag.
One problem. All the adults are pompous, flaccid, misguided, or hypocritical with the exception of an assistant in the principal's office who is sympathetic with Sierra but weak. Her mother is a talentless artsy type and her father a Type AAA. Mr Besser is a hypocrite and the choir director is a wimp. And while the moral -- or one of the morals -- of the story is the importance of using common sense and having concern for others, the book also teaches that students know better than adults and disobeying rules intentionally (as well as accidentally) is also to be viewed with tolerance.
But none of this is heavy-handed and the characters are interesting and sometimes amusing. The book is intended for students in grades 3-7, ages 8-12.
October 31, 2014
Don't you ever hate when you get in trouble for something that you didn't do? I do, so this time i will tell you about a girl who gets expeled for something that her mom did. The genre is realistic fiction. I thought this was a good book.
It takes place at Sierra's school. This is a book about a girl named Sierra shepard a 7th grader who is a perfect student who wanted to know why there was a knife in her lunch box but she didn't want to get in trouble for accidentally bringing it to school. So she takes it to the principal.Then the principal expels her for bringing the knife. The type of conflict in my story is person vs. self because she thought that taking the knife to the principal would be the good choice but it turned out that she got expeled.
I cant relate to the character Sierra because what happened to her when her mom accidentally put a knife in her lunchbox happened to me once except I didn't get expeled. My mom once accidentally put a lighter (which she used to light the candles) in my sweater pocket. A teacher found it but said that next not to bring it to school. I can relate to Sierra in other things like being a perfect student. Many people in the past always asked me that why was I a perfect student.
Also, I was surprised when the author stated that Sierra got expeled because in the beginning of the book it said Sierra was a perfect student. I mean I wasn't surprised I was shocked. Also what she did(which was change schools) was a good idea because people might think i am crazy but actually I love going to school. I didn't get it because it wasn't really Sierra's fault. I was sort of depressed when they told Sierra that she needs to go to a special school if she was a awsome student.
My favorite part was when Sierra said that Luke(a boy she met in her new school) was not as bad of a person like she thought. I think its goid that she didn't judge Luke because its not really about how they look, its mostly about how they act.I just noticed that Sierra is exactly like me about judging. When I read that Sierra thought that Luke is a grat person because then thats when I noticed she is a wonderful person for not judging others.
Something I did learn fom this book was that sometimes you will get blamed for something you didn't do. It has happened to me many times, I mean multiple times. I usually get in trouble by my parents for something that my sister did. Either way if I get in trouble for something my sister always tells the truth. Why do we always get in trouble for something we didn't do?
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I didn't waste time reading this book, it actually had some true facts like we usually get in trouble for something we didn't do. I recommend this book for someone who like reading books about what someone has to go through. Also, always remember you will get in trouble for something you didn't do. Im just kidding also remember to never judge others for how they look .
It takes place at Sierra's school. This is a book about a girl named Sierra shepard a 7th grader who is a perfect student who wanted to know why there was a knife in her lunch box but she didn't want to get in trouble for accidentally bringing it to school. So she takes it to the principal.Then the principal expels her for bringing the knife. The type of conflict in my story is person vs. self because she thought that taking the knife to the principal would be the good choice but it turned out that she got expeled.
I cant relate to the character Sierra because what happened to her when her mom accidentally put a knife in her lunchbox happened to me once except I didn't get expeled. My mom once accidentally put a lighter (which she used to light the candles) in my sweater pocket. A teacher found it but said that next not to bring it to school. I can relate to Sierra in other things like being a perfect student. Many people in the past always asked me that why was I a perfect student.
Also, I was surprised when the author stated that Sierra got expeled because in the beginning of the book it said Sierra was a perfect student. I mean I wasn't surprised I was shocked. Also what she did(which was change schools) was a good idea because people might think i am crazy but actually I love going to school. I didn't get it because it wasn't really Sierra's fault. I was sort of depressed when they told Sierra that she needs to go to a special school if she was a awsome student.
My favorite part was when Sierra said that Luke(a boy she met in her new school) was not as bad of a person like she thought. I think its goid that she didn't judge Luke because its not really about how they look, its mostly about how they act.I just noticed that Sierra is exactly like me about judging. When I read that Sierra thought that Luke is a grat person because then thats when I noticed she is a wonderful person for not judging others.
Something I did learn fom this book was that sometimes you will get blamed for something you didn't do. It has happened to me many times, I mean multiple times. I usually get in trouble by my parents for something that my sister did. Either way if I get in trouble for something my sister always tells the truth. Why do we always get in trouble for something we didn't do?
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I didn't waste time reading this book, it actually had some true facts like we usually get in trouble for something we didn't do. I recommend this book for someone who like reading books about what someone has to go through. Also, always remember you will get in trouble for something you didn't do. Im just kidding also remember to never judge others for how they look .
June 9, 2013
After reading a few mindless middle grade books that were purely for fun and to pass the time it was nice to pick up Zero Tolerance and delve into a story with strong characterizations and an important message for young readers. We are quickly thrown into Sierra Shepard’s life where being a leader at school and getting A’s are the most important things. We also get to meet a host of really great secondary characters and learn a little something along the way.
Right off the bat I was really happy with Sierra as our MC. She was a great role model for a younger audience in that good grades and being a leader at her school were very important to her. She strived to impress her teachers and parents and she also knew how to respect her elders. We do get to see her falter a bit in her path of righteousness which really brought her to life for me. She has a core group of friends in the beginning and we get to witness their ups and downs as well. As is with most MG titles there is also a pretty subtle romance in Zero Tolerance. Actually I would say that there is a bit more of a focus on the boys in Sierra’s life than in most other MG titles but it was still very much in the background. I liked the progression that her crush’s went on in the novel and how the shift really helped drive the moral of the story home with the reader.
While Sierra always ensures that she does the right thing she never guessed that it would get her into the trouble that it did. She opened her lunch kit one lunch break to find that she had brought her mothers matching kit by accident. What made this so bad is that her mom had packed an apple in her lunch, and along with that, a knife to cut it. Immediately Sierra turns it into the lunch lady who marches her straight to the office. Due to the schools “Zero Tolerance” policy when it comes to bringing weapons to school she faces immediate in school suspension and possibly expulsion. I liked how the plot really brought out that there are grey areas in what is right and wrong. Sierra did the right thing and got herself into so much trouble and I could really see both sides of the argument (though of course I think she should never have been penalized for such an innocent mistake.) We also get to meet the “bad kids” while she serves the full week of her suspension which also brought to light that people aren’t always who you think they are.
A very sweet, quick read with a great lesson to be learned, Zero Tolerance is a great read for any MG reader. Bringing to light a story of acceptance and not judging books by their covers this is not one to be missed.
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
Right off the bat I was really happy with Sierra as our MC. She was a great role model for a younger audience in that good grades and being a leader at her school were very important to her. She strived to impress her teachers and parents and she also knew how to respect her elders. We do get to see her falter a bit in her path of righteousness which really brought her to life for me. She has a core group of friends in the beginning and we get to witness their ups and downs as well. As is with most MG titles there is also a pretty subtle romance in Zero Tolerance. Actually I would say that there is a bit more of a focus on the boys in Sierra’s life than in most other MG titles but it was still very much in the background. I liked the progression that her crush’s went on in the novel and how the shift really helped drive the moral of the story home with the reader.
While Sierra always ensures that she does the right thing she never guessed that it would get her into the trouble that it did. She opened her lunch kit one lunch break to find that she had brought her mothers matching kit by accident. What made this so bad is that her mom had packed an apple in her lunch, and along with that, a knife to cut it. Immediately Sierra turns it into the lunch lady who marches her straight to the office. Due to the schools “Zero Tolerance” policy when it comes to bringing weapons to school she faces immediate in school suspension and possibly expulsion. I liked how the plot really brought out that there are grey areas in what is right and wrong. Sierra did the right thing and got herself into so much trouble and I could really see both sides of the argument (though of course I think she should never have been penalized for such an innocent mistake.) We also get to meet the “bad kids” while she serves the full week of her suspension which also brought to light that people aren’t always who you think they are.
A very sweet, quick read with a great lesson to be learned, Zero Tolerance is a great read for any MG reader. Bringing to light a story of acceptance and not judging books by their covers this is not one to be missed.
An Advanced Reader's Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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You can read all of my reviews at Alluring Reads.
February 9, 2023
This is a re-read review. The first time I read this book, the goal was to develop critical thinking about the implications of "zero tolerance" and to learn all the big words scattered throughout the book. There were a lot of them.
Even back then, I thought the book was pretty laden with propaganda but despite reading it for the assignment, I found that I enjoyed it a great deal. Sierra reminded me a lot of myself, the "bad boy" she fell in with was nice, and I did end up not regretting the whole experience at all. A solid 4.5/5, I'd read better but at least the couple was really cute.
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Current review:
Despite having a genuinely positive experience reading it last time, I hadn't expected the story and characters to hold up as well as they did. It's a middle-grade novel with a pretty straightforward plot but the characters and the way they handle the conflict made for such an entertaining, engaging story. Nostalgia definitely played a role in my enjoyment, but even without it, it's an incredibly solid story.
Starting with Sierra: she's a great main character to follow. Her introduction is perfect and the plot quickly jumps from her being a flawless student to being the center of a moral myopia spanning several people. She was quite sensible, with the only senseless thing she did being turning in the knife instead of discreetly hiding it. You can see her logic, but both the audience and her friends are imploring her to use common sense before the main conflict begins.
I really liked that although she's mature, Sierra still acts like a seventh grader. Like, being walked to lunch with the detention kids where her crush could see her? Awk. Embarrassing. I get it. Pretending to like a friend you don't like because you've got an image to keep? Been there.
Her parents are a thing all on their own. I'd expected her mom to kinda wallow in the background, making Sierra breakfast and occasionally providing emotional support. When the dad was introduced, he felt like the stereotypical All-American man; successful lawyer, good husband, would go to town for his family.
But despite falling into those roles, they felt like real people. They talked like real adults with real, applicable life experience and their own sets of worries and heartbreaks. The way her father talked was so specific. This man clearly respects no one 😂 he didn't get that far as a lawyer by beating around the bush. Like he said, "nice has nothing to do with it".
I'd say that aside from Sierra and Luke, he was hands down my favorite character. It's a nice little fact they sprinkle in that he skipped the salt and pepper hair phase due to the sheer stress of being a high profile lawyer who plays hardball 24/7 😂 he was hilarious.
I also really liked the mom! It's tempting to call her passive, but she did fiercely stick up for Sierra when the need arrived. I love how clearly present she was during the whole story, picking up Sierra from school everyday, making Sierra nutritious meals, looking out and planning for the situation in her own way.
I didn't expect one of the side conflicts to involve a tension between the parents about what was best for Sierra. Her dad is a traditionalist, to put it lightly, while her mom is more open to alternatives. They had small disagreements before the fight, but the author put extra care into making sure we knew her parents adored each other. It made their biggest fight all the more heartbreaking, in addition to already being scarily realistic. It also put into perspective not only Sierra's fear of her parents separating, but
Luke had the honor of receiving the patented Wattpad Bad Boy™ introduction, complete with the emo hair, broad shoulders, ripped clothing, and hateful look. I would've been annoyed if it weren't so funny and intentionally under-emphasized. Sierra was checking him out, she's excused.
Luke and Sierra have an interesting dynamic. From the start, they're supposed to be complete opposites. He was on his second round of in-school suspension when she joined the ranks. The more you learn about Luke, the easier it is for Sierra and the audience to understand that he's at a disadvantage.
However, neither sides lack empathy for each other. Sierra acknowledges that he's smart despite his trouble-making tendencies, and he has a curiosity about her that turns into genuine care. Luke is still rough around the edges, being the one to make the most immature jokes out of all the middle school kids in the story. But even then, his reason for calling Sierra names is kinda cute lol. He's just joking, it's not his fault no one gets it.
The moment I decided I really liked this ship was when Drop dead adorable and did well telling that he'd started developing feelings for her. I liked that Sierra also picked up on the signs, slowly building a different path away from her then-crush, Colin.
The ending was tied up in a pretty bow, just how I like it. It's not that we were told exactly what happened to every single character, but things were lay to rest when they needed to be.
As a side note, though we did get to see the problems with zero-tolerance policies, it's far from being disruptive to the story. The big SAT words the adults used in consecutive order did throw me off, but I'll excuse it since it's a middle school novel.
Overall, surprisingly an upgrade from when I first read it and I did end up finishing it in under a day! 5 stars, would recommend to middle school students and former students who could see themselves in Sierra like I did.
Even back then, I thought the book was pretty laden with propaganda but despite reading it for the assignment, I found that I enjoyed it a great deal. Sierra reminded me a lot of myself, the "bad boy" she fell in with was nice, and I did end up not regretting the whole experience at all. A solid 4.5/5, I'd read better but at least the couple was really cute.
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Current review:
Despite having a genuinely positive experience reading it last time, I hadn't expected the story and characters to hold up as well as they did. It's a middle-grade novel with a pretty straightforward plot but the characters and the way they handle the conflict made for such an entertaining, engaging story. Nostalgia definitely played a role in my enjoyment, but even without it, it's an incredibly solid story.
Starting with Sierra: she's a great main character to follow. Her introduction is perfect and the plot quickly jumps from her being a flawless student to being the center of a moral myopia spanning several people. She was quite sensible, with the only senseless thing she did being turning in the knife instead of discreetly hiding it. You can see her logic, but both the audience and her friends are imploring her to use common sense before the main conflict begins.
I really liked that although she's mature, Sierra still acts like a seventh grader. Like, being walked to lunch with the detention kids where her crush could see her? Awk. Embarrassing. I get it. Pretending to like a friend you don't like because you've got an image to keep? Been there.
Her parents are a thing all on their own. I'd expected her mom to kinda wallow in the background, making Sierra breakfast and occasionally providing emotional support. When the dad was introduced, he felt like the stereotypical All-American man; successful lawyer, good husband, would go to town for his family.
But despite falling into those roles, they felt like real people. They talked like real adults with real, applicable life experience and their own sets of worries and heartbreaks. The way her father talked was so specific. This man clearly respects no one 😂 he didn't get that far as a lawyer by beating around the bush. Like he said, "nice has nothing to do with it".
I'd say that aside from Sierra and Luke, he was hands down my favorite character. It's a nice little fact they sprinkle in that he skipped the salt and pepper hair phase due to the sheer stress of being a high profile lawyer who plays hardball 24/7 😂 he was hilarious.
I also really liked the mom! It's tempting to call her passive, but she did fiercely stick up for Sierra when the need arrived. I love how clearly present she was during the whole story, picking up Sierra from school everyday, making Sierra nutritious meals, looking out and planning for the situation in her own way.
I didn't expect one of the side conflicts to involve a tension between the parents about what was best for Sierra. Her dad is a traditionalist, to put it lightly, while her mom is more open to alternatives. They had small disagreements before the fight, but the author put extra care into making sure we knew her parents adored each other. It made their biggest fight all the more heartbreaking, in addition to already being scarily realistic. It also put into perspective not only Sierra's fear of her parents separating, but
Luke had the honor of receiving the patented Wattpad Bad Boy™ introduction, complete with the emo hair, broad shoulders, ripped clothing, and hateful look. I would've been annoyed if it weren't so funny and intentionally under-emphasized. Sierra was checking him out, she's excused.
Luke and Sierra have an interesting dynamic. From the start, they're supposed to be complete opposites. He was on his second round of in-school suspension when she joined the ranks. The more you learn about Luke, the easier it is for Sierra and the audience to understand that he's at a disadvantage.
However, neither sides lack empathy for each other. Sierra acknowledges that he's smart despite his trouble-making tendencies, and he has a curiosity about her that turns into genuine care. Luke is still rough around the edges, being the one to make the most immature jokes out of all the middle school kids in the story. But even then, his reason for calling Sierra names is kinda cute lol. He's just joking, it's not his fault no one gets it.
The moment I decided I really liked this ship was when Drop dead adorable and did well telling that he'd started developing feelings for her. I liked that Sierra also picked up on the signs, slowly building a different path away from her then-crush, Colin.
The ending was tied up in a pretty bow, just how I like it. It's not that we were told exactly what happened to every single character, but things were lay to rest when they needed to be.
As a side note, though we did get to see the problems with zero-tolerance policies, it's far from being disruptive to the story. The big SAT words the adults used in consecutive order did throw me off, but I'll excuse it since it's a middle school novel.
Overall, surprisingly an upgrade from when I first read it and I did end up finishing it in under a day! 5 stars, would recommend to middle school students and former students who could see themselves in Sierra like I did.
September 12, 2016
"Zero Tolerance," created by Claudia Mills, is an realistic fiction book in which the main character, Sierra Shepherd, encounters a school-wide problem in which turns out being a school-district problem. Sierra, a seventh grade honor student at Longwood Middle School, had always been the perfect student who always does the right thing, not until her fate would change because of December 23rd. She had accidentally brought her mother's lunch, which contained of a knife for cutting apples, but the principal of Longwood Middle school states that anyone who is found holding a weapon shall be expelled, and zero tolerance will be used upon every staff at the school. Even though it was a mistake, her father and mother came trying to resolve the issue, but a large conflict had begun, and Sierra's life will never be the same ever again.
Why hadn't I read this book sooner?! I really enjoyed every single word said into the book and I really could relate to the main character, Sierra. Well initially, she is a straight A student in which rarely gets into trouble. She worries about her education, and gets really bored after a few hours of homework, just like me. In fact, it feels as if the author made my life into a girl's perspective, which may sound awkward, but is in my opinion, true. My favorite part of the book was actually towards the end, because even in spite of how the conflict was resolved, it made me ask myself, "What will happen next?" I really have no least favorites upon the book because the author made everything effective and reasonable.
I recommend this book to middle school students, specifically intelligent females, because they can probably relate to the book more than a male. It was filled with many conflicts of education and the life of love. Claudia Mills really created a book that relates to current time because based on the quotes of the characters in the book, it reminded me of many MANY people at seventh grade. She also made this book contain many morals meaningful to life. Sierra had done something that you would probably never expect, but if you want to know, I recommend you should read the book, especially with the fact that it was published this year!
~Fifth book for Quarter 2, 231 pages
Why hadn't I read this book sooner?! I really enjoyed every single word said into the book and I really could relate to the main character, Sierra. Well initially, she is a straight A student in which rarely gets into trouble. She worries about her education, and gets really bored after a few hours of homework, just like me. In fact, it feels as if the author made my life into a girl's perspective, which may sound awkward, but is in my opinion, true. My favorite part of the book was actually towards the end, because even in spite of how the conflict was resolved, it made me ask myself, "What will happen next?" I really have no least favorites upon the book because the author made everything effective and reasonable.
I recommend this book to middle school students, specifically intelligent females, because they can probably relate to the book more than a male. It was filled with many conflicts of education and the life of love. Claudia Mills really created a book that relates to current time because based on the quotes of the characters in the book, it reminded me of many MANY people at seventh grade. She also made this book contain many morals meaningful to life. Sierra had done something that you would probably never expect, but if you want to know, I recommend you should read the book, especially with the fact that it was published this year!
~Fifth book for Quarter 2, 231 pages
March 1, 2015
Have you ever gotten in trouble for something you brought to school by mistake? Well if you have then this I a good book for you to read. The genre of this book is realistic fiction. In my opinion I think this is a really good book to read.
The setting of this book is in Longwood Middle School. When Sierra and her friends go to lunch sierra finds out that she took her moms lunch box by mistake so when she opens it she sees a knife in the lunch box. She then goes up to the lunch lady and the lunch lady sends sierra to go to the office. So then sierra was suspended from school because she brought a knife to school by accident. The conflict of this book is person vs. self because sierra didn’t know what to do with the knife but then she turned in the knife to the office.
I was surprised when the principal said that sierra has to get suspended from school just because she brought a knife to school by mistake. I agree with sierra when she said that sometimes the bad kids aren’t that bad at all when you get the chance to talk to them.
I wish that sierra could of listen to her friends that she could just keep the knife in her mom’s lunch box instead of bringing it to the office so then she wouldn’t get suspended from school. The main characters problem was that she didn’t know if she should turn in the knife but then she did because the school rules are that no weapons are allowed in her school.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I think this is a really good book to read. I would recommend this book to people who want to read a good book because I think this is a good book to read. If you ever read this book I think you would like it because I do think this is a good book.
The setting of this book is in Longwood Middle School. When Sierra and her friends go to lunch sierra finds out that she took her moms lunch box by mistake so when she opens it she sees a knife in the lunch box. She then goes up to the lunch lady and the lunch lady sends sierra to go to the office. So then sierra was suspended from school because she brought a knife to school by accident. The conflict of this book is person vs. self because sierra didn’t know what to do with the knife but then she turned in the knife to the office.
I was surprised when the principal said that sierra has to get suspended from school just because she brought a knife to school by mistake. I agree with sierra when she said that sometimes the bad kids aren’t that bad at all when you get the chance to talk to them.
I wish that sierra could of listen to her friends that she could just keep the knife in her mom’s lunch box instead of bringing it to the office so then she wouldn’t get suspended from school. The main characters problem was that she didn’t know if she should turn in the knife but then she did because the school rules are that no weapons are allowed in her school.
I would rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because I think this is a really good book to read. I would recommend this book to people who want to read a good book because I think this is a good book to read. If you ever read this book I think you would like it because I do think this is a good book.
July 2, 2013
I'm sure that many seventh grade girls will be able to relate to seventh grader Sierra Shepard's plight. She's a good student, involved in school projects, and never gets in trouble. But when she accidentally brings a small paring knife to school and turns it in, she ends up with an in-school suspension and possible expulsion because she's violated her Colorado school's zero tolerance policy on weapons. While she continues to do her homework and steams about the unfairness of her punishment, her high-power lawyer father resorts to a media blitz and possible blackmail. Some of Sierra's classmates and teachers rally around her, including bad boy Luke Bishop with whom she bonds while they are in the suspension room. Although it's hard to like her father, especially for the way he belittles Sierra's mother, I felt sorry for Sierra and for her principal, Mr. Besser, who seems trapped by his own school district's discipline policies. In the end, though, it was satisfying for Sierra to realize that "Everything in her life was a little bit more crooked that it used to be" (p. 230), and that not all rules are ironclad and that common sense needs to be applied to some of them. Although I didn't necessarily like Sierra because of her own actions, I did understand them. This book should prompt quite a bit of discussion even though it reminded me of the movie The Breakfast Club in Sierra' realization that there is more to the school troublemakers than she had thought and Luke's realizations about her.
June 4, 2013
I completely identified with Sierra - the conscientious student who always tries to do what is right. I think that's what made it almost stressful to follow the events in the story!
I liked how relevant it is to today - I can easily see this happening. Zero tolerance policies have been used to punish kids for really dumb things. I liked that she made a really bad choice along the way, and I like how she handled the fall out from her choices.
The only thing that I see as a downside in this book is that it may not hit MY class target audience. Sierra is in seventh grade. There is some cursing - not too much. The actual reading level of the book may be a bit too easy for my older students (5th graders) to really get into, but the story may be slightly too old for my younger kids. Sierra seems to act a bit young for a 7th grader - but I'd be curious to hear how teachers of older students perceive her.
In spite of that, I think there is a lot of fodder for discussion in this book. Can people get punished for "doing the right thing"? Is it ever fair to have hard and fast rules and consequences?
Sierra has her eyes opened to a world outside her own little "good kid" bubble, and she ends up better off for it.
Best for: Upper elementary or early middle school.
I liked how relevant it is to today - I can easily see this happening. Zero tolerance policies have been used to punish kids for really dumb things. I liked that she made a really bad choice along the way, and I like how she handled the fall out from her choices.
The only thing that I see as a downside in this book is that it may not hit MY class target audience. Sierra is in seventh grade. There is some cursing - not too much. The actual reading level of the book may be a bit too easy for my older students (5th graders) to really get into, but the story may be slightly too old for my younger kids. Sierra seems to act a bit young for a 7th grader - but I'd be curious to hear how teachers of older students perceive her.
In spite of that, I think there is a lot of fodder for discussion in this book. Can people get punished for "doing the right thing"? Is it ever fair to have hard and fast rules and consequences?
Sierra has her eyes opened to a world outside her own little "good kid" bubble, and she ends up better off for it.
Best for: Upper elementary or early middle school.
July 28, 2020
I love all the ethical questions that Claudia Mills raises in this story - like, when is it a good thing to break rules? And are seemingly good rules sometimes bad if they aren't applied with reason and compassion? Moreover, I like that Mills challenges the black and white notion of good and bad altogether.
When 7th grade honor student, Sierra, accidentally takes her mother's lunch bag to school, she finds an apple and a paring knife inside. The middle school has a strict "no weapons" rule - no exceptions. "Good" kid that Sierra is, she promptly turns in the knife to school staff. But the principal feels cornered, having just touted the success of his zero tolerance policies, and the expulsion process gets set in motion. Sierra is now in suspension with the "bad" kids. Awaiting her expulsion hearing, Sierra's whole understanding - of herself, her peers, and the adults she has respected - shifts. Sierra learns that she's not as "good" as she thought she was, and the system she has always trusted is fallible, too.
Would make a great classroom read.
When 7th grade honor student, Sierra, accidentally takes her mother's lunch bag to school, she finds an apple and a paring knife inside. The middle school has a strict "no weapons" rule - no exceptions. "Good" kid that Sierra is, she promptly turns in the knife to school staff. But the principal feels cornered, having just touted the success of his zero tolerance policies, and the expulsion process gets set in motion. Sierra is now in suspension with the "bad" kids. Awaiting her expulsion hearing, Sierra's whole understanding - of herself, her peers, and the adults she has respected - shifts. Sierra learns that she's not as "good" as she thought she was, and the system she has always trusted is fallible, too.
Would make a great classroom read.
October 3, 2015
I've read four of the Virginia Readers' Choice books so far (there are ten total this year) and Zero Tolerance is my second favorite. I'm a middle school librarian and this was the funnest VA Readers' Choice book talk I gave. I told the students "Sierra pulls out an apple from the lunch bag, then she pulls out a sandwich, then she pulls out some chips...then she pulls out a knife!" The students' eyes grow wide after I say that. Of the ten books, this one is checked out of our library more than any other. It's a quick, entertaining read that I'd recommend for any middle school student.
September 21, 2016
Definitely enjoyed reading this book. Going through what Sierra was doing in the book and she finally understanding each kids story during her suspension time was amazing. I would highly recommend this book, it just became of my favorite books I have read.
April 2, 2015
Interesting changes occur when the "perfect" student is treated like the "juvenile delinquents" because of an honest mistake.
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