The Definant One Summary and Analysis

As David prepares to enter sixth grade, he acknowledges that he's changing. He's becoming cold in an effort to protect himself from further hurt. He begins to steal as a way to gain acceptance of his peers. As other children discover his daring as a thief of candy from the local stores, David becomes more out of control. When a boy named Johnny Jones dares David to steal a model plane from a Walgreen store, David walks in, takes the plane, and walks out. He's hoping to gain the approval of Johnny and his friends, but discovers that Johnny's father is the store manager and has been told that David was going to steal the toy. He knows he's in trouble but has quickly become immune to Lilian's scolding. When Rudy begins to gripe at David, he...