Koja, Kathe. Buddha boy

Koja, Kathe. Buddha boy. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003 [0-374-30998-1]
Jim is fine at school, hovering socially somewhere between several social groups until he is assigned to work on a project with Jinsen, better known as "Buddha Boy." Jinsen is an artistically talented boy who lives alone with his elderly aunt. As Jinsen's ability starts to become more evident, the jocks choose him as a target.. and Jim get in the middle of the whole thing. This 117 page book is the story of a misunderstood young man and an average boy who are thrown together and become friends. Of course the conflict between the jocks and Jinsen reaches a climax at the end of the story. This would be a good high interest book since it takes place in a High School.