Eighth-grader Logan is struggling to deal with a violent situation he witnessed a year ago between his best friend, Zyler, and Zyler's abusive father but insists to everyone around him that he is fine. Just fine. Reluctant readers will be drawn into this story, which also includes bullying classmates and a dismal winter camping trip. Frequent line breaks, screenplay-style dialogue, and e-mails and notes illustrated with black icons break up the scenes. Logan gets to play one of the Lost Boys in the school play, and finds that the theater crowd offers a respite from bullies. A friendship with a girl named Laurel (a palindrome collector who is is thinking of changing her name to Laral), and a relationship with a counselor help Logan to begin the healing process and convince him to reconnect with Zyler. This psychological drama effectively explores our failure to protect youth from abuse inflicted by peers or adults. Caution: there's a slang term for scrotum on page 1.--Dobrez, Cindy Copyright 2007 Booklist ( )

I can't recommend "This Is What I Did" enough--this was the first book I ever read cover to cover in one sitting.

Ann Dee Ellis really puts us into the mind of a traumatized teen whose healing process is thwarted by well meaning but clueless parents who only succeed in making him the the target for bullying. ( )

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Zyler is gone. Logan is drowning in guilt. Will an attempt to make a new start really work?

Logan is a different kid. He has twin younger brothers whose lives revolve around sports. His dad cares, but he's busy. His mother is pregnant, something he'd rather not think too much about. They care, but they don't know what to do to help him.

Not a kid with lots of friends, Logan seems to manage to participate in life at a normal level. Boy Scouts offers him a chance to mingle with other boys his age, but most of them are bullies who use him for target practice. He does fairly well in school and is gutsy enough to try out for the school play and nail the greatest on-stage fight scene they've ever seen. He has friends (or at least acquaintances) that surround him and fill his life, but none like Zyler.

Zyler and Logan had a special friendship. They rode bikes together, did projects together, heck, even liked the same girl together. They knew each others' strengths and weaknesses. Logan even knew how Zyler's father treated his son, but respected Zyler's need for privacy.

Once again, Zyler is now gone, and Logan's family has chosen to move a short distance away to give Logan a fresh start. Hopefully a new school, new friends, and new activities will allow him to forget that night. Unfortunately, the guilt moved right along with Logan.

Ann Dee Ellis uses a unique style of prose to take readers into the mind of Logan Paloney. There is a bit of a wait for readers to discover the exact cause of Logan's oppressive guilt, but the journey is worth the effort. This disturbing story makes one wonder about the personal and private worlds of those around us. Logan's actions could have changed the outcome of events in one person's world, but is that a risk just anyone is willing to take? ( )

This book is a great book. It is an easy read and it will help understand why people make up rumors and how to maybe cope with it. It is a testament to how to find a true friend, understanding what a true friend is. I will help a student be able to cope with differences that people naturally have. A young student must go to therapy and cope with rumors about something he did not do. Something that was not his fault. This student, Logan, has to cope with teasing, bullying, and fitting into new environments to help the family understand and cope with him. ( )

Logan is still reeling from something terrible that happened a year ago involving his best friend. His family has moved to another town, but rumors have followed him and he is too withdrawn to defend himself. Sparely written, this book will connect with teens in how he feels helpless and unsure about himself but unwilling to reach out to others, including his very worried parents. ( )