Boys Don't Knit

Gr 8 Up—Seventeen-year-old Ben Fletcher is on probation for an incident involving a bottle of Martini & Rossi and the lollipop lady. Although the initial plan was against his better judgment, his knucklehead friends talked him into stealing alcohol, thus landing him in trouble with the law. In order to fulfill the terms of his probation, Ben not only has to complete community service, but he also has to take up an extracurricular activity and maintain a journal chronicling his daily experiences. Rather than sign up for his father's car maintenance course (due to his lack of interest in anything his father deems fun), he takes up knitting. The listed instructor is his extremely hot English teacher and the thought of spending hours with her negates the fact that "knitting is for women." When he arrives at class, he learns that there has been a mix-up in instructors. However, the protagonist soon discovers he is a natural knitter, a fact that he has to hide from his dad and friends. As he takes on this new hobby, he learns a valuable lesson about gender stereotypes, relationships, and self-worth. Easton creates a humorous story told through the fast-paced format of Ben's journal entries. Although not much of a distraction, some British terms might cause slight confusion for some readers.