The First Day of School

Book excerpt: It is the first day of seventh grade for Elliott, a student at a Catholic grade school in a conservative, solidly Republican town in northeast Ohio. His entrepreneur parents, considered leftover hippies by most, have always encouraged Elliott to think outside the box. Jeffery is a fellow seventh grader whose father is an up-and-coming Republican running for Congress. He rarely talks to Jeffery unless he is giving instructions or opinions. His mother has a fondness for vodka tonics and rarely smiles. When Jeffery walks into Elliott’s class on the first day, Elliott immediately notices his piercing eyes. As that moment sets into motion a journey of confusion, Elliott and Jeffery must somehow find a way to balance hate and shame with love, understanding, and acceptance. When a deep family secret is revealed, the boys are transported down separate complex, emotional roads that lead them to balance their lives on a tightrope, terrified of falling. But as the answers come, both finally realize the importance of that first day of school. The First Day of School is the emotional tale of two boys as they journey from friendship into a dark tunnel of shame and hate that leaves them battling to find the light at the end.