Zero Fade by Chris L. Terry

Kevin wants a lot of things. First, he wants a haircut - not the ragged haircut he gets from his mother, but a fade. Next, he wants a girlfriend - Aisha, the girl in his science class, is his first choice. Also, he wants to see the new Jim Carrey movie, The Mask. He and his best friend David love the TV show, In Living Color, so they cannot wait to see Jim Carrey in a movie.  

You know, seventh graders do not always understand how the world works. For example, Kevin thinks that once Aisha agrees to go to see a movie with him that she is his girlfriend. Having once been a teen boy myself, I understand the desire to have a girlfriend and making assumptions about how relationships work. Didn't work for me - doesn't work for Kevin.

Kevin is also worried about perception. When his Uncle Paul takes him to get a haircut, Kevin is pretty sure the barber is gay. He worries that his new haircut may be gay or that people saw him being touched by the guy so they might think he is gay. Maybe everyone in the whole barber shop was gay! Kevin is a ball of confusion. What he doesn't know is that his beloved uncle who he looks up to is gay. And uncle Paul is concerned about what Kevin will think when he tells him the truth.

This book is a humorous slice of Kevin's life - coping with a bully, fighting with his best friend, dealing with his sister and mother - all things made a bit more difficult due to Kevin's immature and developing view of the world. He will learn.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.