Adam, 15, makes a threat in school. Olivia, 14, steals a car. Charles, 16, is found with cocaine and a loaded gun. Philip, 9, is assaulting his mother. Joshua, 15, cuts school.

Should Adam go to jail? What about Olivia? Should Charles be locked up or put on probation? Could counseling help Philip and his mom? What can be done for Joshua?

You be the judge.

Kids are invited to preside over 21 real-life cases. The facts are exactly as they happened. Nothing has been changed. It's up to them to decide what's right, what's fair, and what's best for the community.

Once they have made their decision, they will find out what really happened-the sentence the young person actually got, his or her reaction, and the judge's explanation.

This is a great book to put pre-teens and teens in the role of making the best decisions for incidents they hear about frequently. In addition, it is a learning experience as to the legal consequences of illegal behaviors.

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TOPICS: Decision-making, behavior

INCLUDES: 21 real-life cases, background information, actual decisions made by the real judge

GRADE LEVELS: 5-12/AGES: 11-18

FOR USE WITH: Small groups, classrooms

AUTHOR: Thomas Jacobs

RECOMMENDED FOR: Elementary counselors, middle-school counselors, high-school counselors, at-risk personnel, middle-school teachers, high-school teachers, social workers, youth group leaders

214 pages, paperback, black and white illustrations, 2003