The Hate Crime — Phyllis Karas

Zack's dad is the district attorney, so Zack hears a lot about all kinds of terrible crimes. The latest case is about graffiti defacing the local temple, and Zack wonders why his dad is making such a big deal about it. After all, it's not like it's a murder.

But what makes this hate crime a real shocker for Zack is that he knows the guy who committed it - a fellow lacrosse player, and a good student who's never been in trouble. And it's only when Zack tries to get to the bottom of this senseless act that he fully understands the terror these vicious scrawls evoke. When a sickness that once swept the world, killing millions, rear its ugly head in a quiet community and turns friend against friend, it's a very big deal.