Touch by Francine Prose Published by HarperTeen June 2009 $16.99US ISBN-13: 978-0061375170   ISBN-10: 0061375179

“Caught by Maisie's immediate first-person narrative, readers will race through the story....[Maisie's] anger, hurt, and sexual awakening are riveting, as are all the novel's big questions about harassment and every incident's multiple versions of the truth."
--Booklist (starred review)

"Prose keeps capable control of Maisie's voice...Middle schoolers attempting to negotiate the same territory will appreciate this chance to narratively explore some of its troubling regions."
--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"An incisive and compelling novel... Readers will be fascinated by this convincing tale and the questions that it raises, from its gripping first chapter to its poignant and surprising conclusion."
--Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

"A nuanced meditation on how stories of abuse can confuse and obscure the truth...Prose's (Bullyville) adept narration and shunning of easy answers will hold readers' interest. "
--Publishers Weekly

What really happened at the back of the bus?

Did they, or didn't they?

Did she, or didn't she?

Something happened to fourteen-year-old Maisie Willard—something involving her three friends, all boys. But their stories don't match, and the rumors spin out of control. Then other people get involved . . . the school, the parents, the lawyers. The incident at the back of the bus becomes the center of Maisie's life and the talk of the school, and, horribly, it becomes news. With just a few words and a touch, the kids and their community are changed forever.

From nationally acclaimed author Francine Prose comes an unforgettable story about the difficulties of telling the truth, the consequences of lying, and the most dangerous twist of all—the possibility that you yourself will come to believe something that you know isn't true.

About the Author
Francine Prose is the author of fifteen books of fiction, including A Changed Man and Blue Angel, which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and the nonfiction New York Times bestseller Reading Like a Writer. Her latest novel, Goldengrove, was published in September 2008. She is a former president of PEN American Center. She lives in New York City.