Adam Rapp has written a trio of critically acclaimed novels for young adults that address tough issues of peer abuse and dysfunctional families. Reviews of Rapp's Missing the Piano and The Copper Elephant have commended the author for his ability to create believable characters whose triumphs over adversity are not easily won. "Rapp writes about naively innocent adolescents caught in violent and emotionally isolated places," stated Ann Angel in the ALAN Review. An accomplished playwright whose works have been produced by the prestigious American Repertory Theatre, Rapp is pleased that his novels seemed to have struck a chord with young readers. "I think kids are incredibly resilient and much smarter than we think they are," he told Angel in an ALAN Review interview. "I hate the idea of sheltering kids from challenging books. It's just another form of conservative fear that promotes ignorance more than anything else."

Rapp's...