Last Sam's Cage — David A. Poulsen

Life's not going so good for Eddie Slater. At 15, he's already been labeled a young offender. He's got an abusive stepfather. He's a runaway. And now, he's living in a zoo  -- a real zoo, but it still feels safer than home. At the zoo, Eddie meets Jack, a middle-aged man who's been coming to the zoo's playground every day for the last 32 years just to watch the children. Eddie likes Jack, but he's also wary: is Jack a pervert, or just plain weird? Determined to find the answer, Eddie follows Jack home one day and breaks into his house to see what he can find. He discovers more than he bargained for  -- a bedroom wall that's completely covered with photos and newspaper stories about a little girl who was murdered at the zoo. What does it mean? Realistic and beautifully written, Last Sam's Cage deals with the problem of being misunderstood in a way that resonates with young readers.