Bernie is already a scrawny thirteen-year-old magnet for misfortune. But when his father pawns him off on relatives after his mother dies and he accidentally takes a picture of a man carrying a dead body through the woods, Bernie’s life becomes truly miserable.

Now he must discover who the murderer is while staying out of trouble so that his father doesn’t take him away. Will the fates decide to salvage the miserable life of Bernie LeBaron?

Perfect for fans of Gary D. Schmidt’s Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now, Christopher Paul Curtis’s Bud Not Buddy, Richard Peck’s A Year Down Yonder, and Jack Gantos’s Dead End in Norvelt. 

For images, history, and landscapes relating to Bernie LeBaron see Pinterest.