Leaving Summer, The

"In the summer of his 11th year, Austin Carroll matures beyond the naiveti, dependence, and security of childhood....When two convicts escape while working in his father's tomato fields and one is seriously injured, the boy and his aunt secretly transport the man to her basement, where they hide him and nurse him back to health....Set in western North Carolina in 1958, this coming-of-age story is an entertaining blend of plot, character, and social commentary."--School Library Journal.