Notorious by Gordan Korman

My name is Keenan, and I'm finally recovering from the fatigue and lack of energy that comes with tuberculosis. However, I'm not crazy about living with my dad in a tiny town on the border of Canada and the United States. The only interesting thing here, and a bit annoying, is a girl named Zeedee. She has all kinds of stories about the gangsters who once lived in this town, and I suspect she exaggerates quite a bit. Zeedee has an adorable dog that she ignores, since she thinks someone murdered her first dog. The first dog terrorized everyone here, and I've learned the people still hate the memory of it. Now, Zeedee won't even talk to me, because she thinks I prefer the kids from my school over her. However, I need to find some way to talk to her again because of what I found in the woods. Maybe she hasn't been exaggerating as much as I thought. 

I chose this book because of the author. You can depend on Korman to present an amusing story about an uncommon topic. The story is told by different characters, mostly Keenan and Zeedee, in alternating chapters, so you can read from different points of view. It's mostly about friendship and the problems arising from misunderstanding others. The second half of the book becomes a mystery, as Keenan tries to uncover what really happened to Zeedee's dog. Multiple suspects are presented and investigated, but Korman saves some surprises for later. You won't be totally shocked if you pay attention to the clues. Oh, a treasure hunt also develops as the plot moves along. The story includes a lot of interesting information about famous gangsters, Elliot Ness, and the unique problems created in a town literally split between two countries. Zeedee sees most of her problems arising from being the only kid in town needing to take a boat to Canada to attend school. Keenan helps Zeedee get beyond her misconceptions to possibly mend old friendships. It's inspiring to watch an outsider work to bring a community closer together. Overall, this is a very entertaining book and I recommend you give it a shot.