Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser

Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser is about Gary and Brendan and what happened to them as a result of constant teasing and bullying. These two boys were bullied by the jocks and popular crowd every single day. Finally, they'd had enough. They stole guns from a neighbor and made homemade pipe bombs from plans thy found on the Internet. They set up an elaborate plan to eliminate everyone who had ever contributed to their misery - and even those who hadn't. On the last night of their lives, Gary and Brendan crashed a dance at their high school and held everyone hostage, intent on exacting revenge for everything they'd been put through just for existing and being different.

This was an extremely powerful story. I really related to it for two reasons: I am a teacher, and have strong feelings about protecting all students from teasing and bullying, and because the Littleton, Colorado school shooting at Columbine High School, where 15 people lost their lives happened on my birthday. The story is told through bits of interviews, text messages, and testimonials from classmates, friends, teachers, and parents of the boys who tried to teach their town a lesson about how people ought to be treated.