Note: This 2018 novel is the original story that inspired the Audie Award-winning audio drama and the new scriptbook edition of The Real Education of TJ Crowley: Coming of Age on the Redline . If you are looking for the scriptbook to read along with the audio drama, please order the Coming of Age on the Redline edition. NOW AN AUDIE AWARD-WINNING AUDIO DRAMA Adapted by the author and May Wuthrich "A deftly crafted, thought-provoking, and solid work of YA historical fiction." - Midwest Book Review In the explosive summer of 1968, a line is drawn. In a nation grieving the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that line runs straight through Wichita, Kansas, and right down 13-year-old TJ Crowley's property line. TJ's summer is already in turmoil. With his father gone and his brother off to Vietnam, he's left alone with his unhinged, racist mother who drowns her fears in alcohol. Her answer to the social upheaval is to lock the doors and trust in her old flame, a Klansman who vows to keep their all-white neighborhood pure. Their resolve is immediately tested when the Washingtons, a Black family with a dream of a better life, move into the house next door. They are determined, dignified, and will not be intimidated. Working alongside his racist "Uncle Ray," TJ helps build a privacy fence between the two houses. His mom swears that she'll ground him forever if he ever goes next door. But a fence can't stop the sounds of his future classmate, Ivy, practicing her cheerleading routines. It can't silence the spirituals sung by her father, Dr. Washington. And it cannot halt the questions stirring in TJ's own mind. As he is pulled deeper into the escalating conflict, TJ must begin his own real education: confronting the ugly truths of his heritage and discovering the humanity that fence is meant to deny. In a world demanding he choose a side, he is faced with a life-altering decision: take refuge in the hatred he's always known or risk everything for the neighbors he is just beginning to understand. The Real Education of TJ Crowley is a deftly crafted, thought-provoking, and solidly entertaining work of historical fiction. Unreservedly recommended for both school and community library YA fiction collections." - MIDWEST BOOK REVIEWS "I am thoroughly impressed! Couldn't put it down." - Sarah Bagby, Fiction Judge for the 2015 National Book Awards "The Real Education of TJ Crowley is a remarkable book that takes on the choices faced by a young white teenager caught up in the racial maelstrom of desegregation in the American hinterland. Brought to life by a series of finely drawn characters, the book offers readers, particularly teens, a chance to think about some of the most important issues facing our society today. I heartily recommend it. - Mark Potok, former Senior Fellow, Southern Poverty Law Center "Set in an explosive moment in America's racial history, this coming-of-age history prompted me to consider my own moral courage. What choices would I have made if I were in TJ's shoes? I was on the edge of my seat, turning the pages and rooting for TJ as he navigated his young life with increasing clarity." - Debby Irving, author of Waking Up White "Too often, the conversation about race omits the role of whiteness in the equation. The Real Education of TJ Crowley is the perfect book to spur frank discussions about whiteness with teens and young adults, offering insights into the fear and hate of white supremacy and a model of how a white person can change and challenge what they think they know about race. This book will provoke meaningful discussions in the classroom." - Jenna Chandler-Ward, Co-Founder, Teaching While White "This is a book that demands discussion. Read it in a group and talk genuinely about history and its important connection to current society." - Marguerite Penick-Parks, Ph.D., Co-editor of Everyday White People and A Guide for White Women Teaching Black Boys Former Miami Herald staff writer and author Grant Overstake has written two novels on important themes for young people. His premier novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon, received widespread critical acclaim for its focus on grief and recovery from loss. His most recent novel, The Real Education of TJ Crowley explores the thorny issue of race and relationships between students during the Civil Rights era.