Guardian by Julius Lester

The Guardian is about racist times. The preachers daughter in a small town is raped and murdered. The witness was a black man and he is blamed for the crime. The witness is hung from the tree and Ansel, the main character, knows it wasnt him. He wants to get away from the awful guilty he feels just being in the same town. It difficult being young and expected to run his fathers store. You will see how he deals with the truth that is eating up his heart.