Chelsey and the Green-Haired Kid

by Carol Gorman

Suppressing her suspicions of his criminal involvement, Chelsey, a wheelchair-bound eyewitness to murder, asks Jack, an enigmatic boy with punk green hair and a bad reputation, to help her expose the murderer.

Genres: Mystery

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Carol Gorman is an Iowa-born writer of over 40 published books. She spent 17 years teaching in middle-school, high-school, and college classes. Her writing time has been devoted to creating mystery and suspense novels for children.

She originally aspired to be an actress, and while studying at the University of Iowa, was cast in the lead of both West Side Story and Peter Pan. In the 1980s, Carol married writer Edward Gorman, who inspired her to write. She conducts writers’ workshops at elementarys, middle schools and high schools, and enjoys talking to students about writing and publishing.

Reviews

[Riri · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could I ever forget the very first book that I have read and the one book that made me want to read more! :)

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chelsey is a thirteen-year-old girl that has been confined to a wheelchair for years as a consequence of a car accident. Jack is a recent arrival at her school, and he comes with a reputation as consistently being in serious trouble and he sports a head of green hair. Chelsey is on the ground floor of a gymnasium when she witnesses (out of the corner of her eye) a boy being pushed from the top of the bleachers. He lands on the floor and his injuries prove fatal. Although she is convinced that the boy was pushed, making it a murder, Chelsey did not get a really good look at the person that she believes did the pushing.
Circumstances, including some clear danger, drive Chelsey and Jack into an investigative partnership. The first moves are quite tentative due to Jack’s reputation, yet Chelsey quickly finds herself falling into significant liking of Jack. They prove to be a good team, with very complementary mental processes as they identify the likely suspect and pursue some rather obvious clues.
A police detective proves to be very helpful, and Chelsey’s parents are very supportive. Jack has no engaged father, and his mother is characterized as a drunk. Together, they track down the culprits after a climactic escape that involves a wheelchair trek down Suicide Hill.
This is a good story, easily understood and involving characters that the YA readership can relate to and identify with.

[Ericka Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a good story and and I like how they make it were I'm trying to teach you not to judge a person by how they decide they want to look like if only people listen

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not my normal type of book

[Super Piss Baby · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 kid dies in the first chapter.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked by my 4th grade pen pal if I had read this book. I had not, so I wanted to check it out and correspond with her about it. The book actually gave me a unique perspective on difficulties experienced by this young parapalegic AND how she made/kept friendship with the green-haired kid!

I gave it such a high rating for its readability for young people AND its pertinence in helping them develop.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because the "so what" seems to deal with how quickly adults dismiss kids, and also how kids dismiss those that are different from themselves. Plus, the mystery is intense enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, and the allusions to places in Iowa City make it an easy one to visualize. I wonder if the pizza place in it is Pagliai's.

[Janis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in 6th grade because my 6th Grade Language Arts teacher wrote it. I loved it. I still have my signed copy on my bookshelf.