Fifteen-year-old Andy Crockett wouldn’t call himself the luckiest kid on Earth. At home, his brother got all the looks and all the smarts. And at school, he doesn’t fit with any of the groups — the goths, the athletes, or the brains. Even those misfits, The Six, are not exactly welcoming.

But with a new school year starting, Andy thinks his luck may be changing. Parkerville isn't the coolest school, but at least Mr. Retzlaff, his tenth grade social teacher, is cool. This class is awesome from day one. Covering World War II, Hitler, and the Holocaust, Mr. R. urges students to question everything they see and hear. It's the one class Andy wants to ace — if only to make Mr. R. proud. But before long, he starts to realize that Mr. R.'s version of history doesn't quite match everyone else's, and that succeeding in this class may cost more than he's willing to pay. David Poulsen's gripping plot, realistic characters, and enduring themes make Numbers one of his best novels to date.