The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

A novel about five children between the ages of 9 and 15 who were close friends. They came from three different families. The children were traumatized by the death of an Afro-American male who they had befriended in the woods near their home. The story revolves around the reaction of the families to the death. The author gives great description of the reactions of the characters to the central event. She displays considerable in site into human nature, sexuality, and intertgenerational conflicts.

Stuart