All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook

Perry T. Cook was born in prison. That’s not so uncommon, but a smart, kindly warden takes him on as her foster child and allows Perry’s mother to raise him in the small, minimum-security prison in Surprise, Nebraska, where he is loved and raised right by a large, extended family. Everything is fine until a new DA comes to town and discovers this unusual arrangement. The DA is a do-gooder who decides Perry would be a lot better off with the DA and his family, and Perry’s mother hasn’t really properly served her time since she was allowed to have her child with her. When Perry gets a school assignment that allows him to tell the stories of some of the prisoners and finally learn his mother’s whole story, it changes everything.

This is truly a story of love, friendship, hope, and redemption all packed into a coming-of-age novel that will capture readers’ hearts. The characters are rich and complex, the setting is unusual and will fascinate young readers. The writing is superb and the storytelling is terrific. This book deserves a wider readership than the middle-graders for whom it is intended. A real winner!