Tears of a Tiger — Sharon M. Draper

Andy tackles his guilt and grief in the first book of Sharon M. Draper's award-winning Hazelwood High trilogy.

Tigers don't cry -- or do they? After the death of his longtime friend and fellow Hazelwood Tiger in a car accident, Andy, the driver, blames himself and cannot get past his guilt and pain. While his other friends have managed to work through their grief and move on, Andy allows death to become the focus of his life. In the months that follow the accident, the lives of Andy and his friends are traced through a series of letters, articles, homework assignments, and dialogues, and it becomes clear that Tigers do indeed need to cry.