War Game — Nancy Werlin

Jo and Lije were secret friends, talking at night from their windows across three feet of alley. It wasn't a big secret, their friendship. It was a little secret, something pleasant, but not really important. Until the war game ...

This story about kids, bullying, and violence was inspired by William Golding's Lord of the Flies.

Massachusetts native Nancy Werlin is the author of several young adult novels. These include the fantasy novels Extraordinary and Impossible (a New York Times bestseller), the science fiction novel Double Helix, the suspense thrillers The Killer's Cousin (winner of the Edgar award), Locked Inside (an Edgar award finalist), and Black Mirror, and the realistic novels Are You Alone on Purpose and The Rules of Survival (a National Book Award finalist). She also writes occasional short stories and essays.