With his shaved head and begging bowl the new kid is an automatic target for the bully boys of Edward Rucher High--an easy mark for their casual cruelty. Watching this, Justin would gladly stay as far from the newcomer as possible--until their economics teacher pairs them for a project and he finds himself becoming fascinated by the kid the others mock as "Buddha Boy." The thing is, friendship with an outcast always carries a price, and soon Justin must decide if he can stay silent in the face of what he knows. A scorching portrait of contemporary high school life, featuring a character listeners will never forget. Praise for the print version of BUDDHA BOY: "Quickly paced, inviting, and eye-opening . . . a marvelous addition to YA literature." -- School Library Journal An ALA Best Books for Young Adults selection Kathe Koja has published five adult novels and over three dozen short stories. Her other young adult novels include Straydog and The Blue Mirror. She lives in the Detroit area with her husband Rick Lieder (cover artist for Buddha Boy) and her teenage son.