The character of Willis Pierce first appears in Mazer's novel The Dollar Man (1974). Here, a much younger Willis is a minor character and not a very likeable one. He cruelly torments and makes fun of the main character, who is overweight and awkward. Mazer, himself, was intrigued by this character whom he had created. He felt that Willis's tough, insensitive behavior would probably be a facade, which prevented him from revealing the goodness underneath. In The War on Villa Street (1978), Mazer lets the reader see beyond Willis's tough guy facade. Here, Willis, an eighth grader, is the main character. He is a loner who runs to vent his frustrations caused by a gang that torments him and a father who is an alcoholic. His father's drunken appearance at an important race causes him to become even more of a loner and to refuse participating in any...