Castan, Mike

Manny is excited to start middle school with his friends, but when his peers start calling his clique the "Conquistadors" and his friend's older brother starts making demands on them from inside prison, Manny must decide whether he wants to go along with his friends in the gang or stay clean.

When Mexican American seventh-grader Javier is assigned to work with a special education class and connects with Dontae, who has both physical and mental disabilities, his reputation among gang members and drug abusers no longer seems very important.