Leapholes

Author: James Grippando

One afternoon while out riding his bike, Ryan Coolidge is hit by an ambulance and taken to the hospital. After faking amnesia, wanting to be anonymous and tired of being infamous, Ryan escapes a hospital fire along with five other people by stumbling mistakenly into a top secret facility. By entering this facility, they are infected with "BODS" or Blood Oxygen Depletion syndrome. The good news, a prototype vaccine exists that may offer a cure. The bad news, six people need the vaccine and only five vials are available. Everyone agrees to draw lots with the person choosing the short straw not getting the vaccine; a veritable death sentence. Ryan’s friend Kaylee chooses the short straw and his subsequent decision to mix the five vials and evenly distribute the vaccine to save everyone has immediate repercussions as he must now defend himself against charges of manslaughter.

Assigned a lawyer, Hezekiah, Ryan is given the opportunity to research his case via the use of leapholes. Hezekiah is a member of a secret society, Legal Eagles, who earn leapholes by closing inappropriate law loopholes. Earned by closing a loophole, leapholes facilitate traveling through time enabling Legal Eagles to learn first hand of historically relevant court cases. Included within the book are cases such as the William Brown (who lives, who dies), Dred Scott ("the brood follows the dam"), the Underground Railroad, and abolitionists. Cases are presented without embellishment, offering readers an opportunity to understand more than bald facts presented in court. Journeying with Ryan and his friends makes it easier to comprehend how laws actually shaped what happened historically.

Leapholes concludes with discussion questions for classroom use and a note from the author concerning the historical accuracy of cases presented. An appealing afterward presents comments from well-known authors and lawyers regarding their decisions to enter into law. With read-aloud potential, this book would be a great selection for social-studies or history units covering the civil war and slavery. Grades 5-9

Catalog quick links: Law United States Juvenile Fiction, Lawyers juvenile fiction

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