Defect

While spending much of his life in Minnesota foster homes, and being bullied in school, fifteen year old David has been trying to hide an unusual physical abnormality. When he switches to an alternative school and meets Cheetah, a girl with a less obvious disability, he has a chance at a normal life. Then David is offered a surgical correction for his abnormality. Should he do it? Is the defect a curse or a blessing? A good discussion starter for teens about medical issues and how they can affect one's life, and stigmatization in a small community. Written by Will Weaver, set in Red Wing, it is the young adult winner of the 2008 Minnesota Book Award.