They're used to running against each other at school track meets-but eighth grade pals Carlo and Jack are about to take their competition to the next level. After confiding in Jack about Elisabeth, the girl who takes his breath away, Carlo is heartbroken when his so-called friend warms up to the same girl, using his confidence and charm to grab her attention.
Now, sensing the rift between the close buddies, a third friend named Rigo seizes the opportunity to get closer to Carlo. After always feeling like the outsider in the group, Rigo quickly moves in to declare his loyalty while accusing Jack of blowing Carlo off.
When a series of deceiving texts ignites a social media feud, nobody is safe from the consequences. But will jealousy and betrayal dismantle this group of friends for good, or can kindness eventually put an end to the bullying behavior?
Written by a group of ninety-nine eighth grade students, Qwerty explores timely issues of friendship, bullying, and the power of being nice in a time when social networking and rumors can lead to personal devastation-and when a need for acceptance is such a large part of adolescent life.
About the Author: @8grwriters is a group of ninety-nine eighth grade writing students from rural Pennsylvania. In addition to reading self-selected novels and doing plenty of writing, they spend time talking about writing and becoming better writers.
By collaborating on the novel Qwerty, the young writers are able to use technology for an authentic writing experience and Re excited to have their words reach outside the boundaries of their classroom. After each student was given a 250-word limit, the class worked on making the proper revisions, additions, and subtractions for their work to come together.
Readers can follow the continued efforts of the students on their classroom Twitter account, @8grwriters.
