Edward Bloor's acclaimed first novel for young adults, Tangerine, won critical accolades for its portrayal of one teen's determination to overcome the challenges, both physical and psychological, presented to him by his dysfunctional family. Bloor has written a second novel set in Florida, where he himself lives and works, that also chronicles one teen's maturation amidst hardship. Below the surface of their plots, both Crusader and its predecessor describe the particular hardships faced by public-school students in the state. A former teacher himself who became an editor of young-adult novels for publisher Harcourt Brace, Bloor declared in an interview with Authors and Artists for Young Adults (AAYA) that his "goal is to create a world that is worth spending a few days in as a reader." Called a "writer to watch" by the American Library Association, he is particularly determined to portray characters from all walks of life...