Sonia Levitin is a German-American novelist, artist, producer, Holocaust Survivor, and author of over forty novels and picture books for young adults and children, as well as several theatrical plays and published essays on various topics for adults. Her book Incident at Loring Groves won an Edgar Allan Poe Award.
I spent the second half of this book trying to figure out if this was after school special quality for 1986 or just run of the mill content. Maybe the point is to slay the dragon and make up your own values. Definitely advocating for facing your fears and talking about your problems.