Off Target: The Path You Choose - #1 - Author Jill Ammon Vanderwood

Off Target: The Path You Choose – #1

What would you do if your friend showed you a gun?

Off Target is the first book in The Path You Choose series. You, the reader, determine the outcome by the choices you make. Once you read one story, go back and choose a different story. There are thirteen possible endings in this book. What Path Will You Choose?

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Book Cover for Off Target: The Path You Choose - #1

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You are new in town and it’s your first day at a new school. Your neighbor, Trevor introduces you to a new group of three boys and two girls.

Right away you notice that Eric, one of the guys in the group, is being bullied at school. When you go to Eric’s house with your new group of friends, he shows the group a fully loaded handgun that is left in his mother’s nightstand.

You are faced with some hard choices when someone suggests that Eric should take the gun to school.

What should you do? It’s time to choose a path:

If you’re worried that Eric will take the gun to school–continue on page 7

If you decide to take the gun to prevent anyone from being hurt–continue on page 9

If you leave the house with the others and plan to come back for target practice the next day–continue on page 10

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What People are Saying

Jill Ammon Vanderwood has dealt with a controversial topic in a way that makes sense to teenagers; the mark of a talented YA author!
Louanne Piccolo

With thirteen possible endings, all of which teach some important lessons about the relationship between young Americans and guns, this is an accomplished work which is socially conscious and also interesting for middle grade students and up to read.
K. C. Finn

Jill Ammon Vanderwood’s interactive social issues book for young adults and preteens, Off Target: The Path You Choose #1, is a stark and realistic workbook designed to help kids figure out what to do when the unthinkable occurs. This book may save lives — it’s that good. Off Target: The Path You Choose #1 is most highly recommended.
Jack Magnus

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Author Q&A

How did you come up with the idea of Off Target? What inspired you?

I was inspired to write Off Target after hearing about so many school shootings. I also heard the students from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School speaking up about the dangers of guns and the need for regulations. I was impressed with their bravery.

Your book is written from real life situations—headlines. Why is it a work of fiction?

I not only made this book a work of fiction, but also the type of book where kids can make choices. This way, I knew I could use many scenarios so the kids could choose their own ending and see the consequences of the choices. The stories are based on real news stories, but the characters are fictitious. There are thirteen possible endings in this book.

You are dealing with dangerous situations with kids who find a gun. Did people die in your stories?

That’s a good question. No, no one dies, but there is a lot of blood. I think seeing blood and knowing that the situation could have been prevented was enough to get the point across.

Why do kids need such a graphic book?

Sometimes telling and telling kids the situation is bad, won’t be enough. You have to show them just how bad it really is. You can never go back to the innocence you knew before a shooting.

Do you know someone who has been shot?

Yes, my younger brother committed suicide. I have also seen incidents where someone attempted suicide and lived with serious disfiguration.

Most people like feel good books with happy endings. Why did you write this dark book with unhappy endings?

Not all endings are bad endings in Off Target. In some cases, because of the choices—the characters avoid horrible situations. Not all endings in life are good either, because of the choices we make. You can’t expect to play around guns and not pay the consequences.

Have you found that people don’t agree with this book?

Being a writer I always have people question me, “What are you writing now?” or “Are you working on a new book?” I’ve been telling people about Off Target for quite some time. I usually see a frown when I say— “Kids find a loaded gun and have to decide whether to tell someone, take the gun so no one gets hurt or come back the next day for target practice.”

And then they either say, “This is a timely subject,” or “I think a book like this is very necessary.” One lady asked me if I killed anyone in my book. I said, “No”, and she was so relieved.

Do you really think there’s a problem with kids getting hold of guns?

There is definitely a problem!

89% of accidental shooting deaths among children occur in the home.
Most of these deaths occur when children are playing with an unsecured loaded gun in their parents’ absence.
Around 4.6 million minors in the US live in homes with at least one loaded and unlocked firearm. From Gifford Law to Prevent Gun Violence

Who do you hope to reach with Off Target?

I hope to reach kids from fifth grade through junior high, teachers and parents.

Why were you the best person to write this book?

I am the best person to write this book because I love kids and I want to keep them safe. They are the future and I want to help them learn to make decisions. In this book, they can see the consequences of their choices—so when kids are faced with hard choices, they will know what to do.