Told in first person, Jason’s Why relates the story of a nine-year-old boy who has been sent to a treatment centre by his mother because she can’t handle him any longer. Jason is afraid that his mother is going to leave him in the home forever. He is afraid of trusting these strange new adults in his life. And he is worried about how his sister is doing at home without him.

Jason begins to realize that the people in the group home are not going to hurt him but care about his welfare, and that the principal in his new school is also a figure he can trust to care for his best interests. The kindness and care he starts to receive allows him to gain the courage to tell these new adults about his fears – despite his concern that his mother will not take him back. Both Jason and his mother must work towards an understanding of each other and their future together.

Beth Goobie is an award-winning poet and writer who lives in Saskatchewan. Her novel Before Wings was chosen by young readers for the Best Books list of the American Library Association. Beth is the author of several novels for young readers including Mission Impossible, The Lottery, Before Wings and Born Ugly.