Have you ever felt like the world might be a better place if teenagers were allowed to make their own rules--and enforce those rules themselves?  The students at Themis Academy have learned that their teachers expect them to be so perfect, those same teachers never seem to notice when someone does something terrible.  But the students notice--and, don't worry, they've found a good way to take care of offenders.  A jury of their peers tries every case, and when someone is found guilty, they must give up the thing they love the most.  The punishment is voluntary, of course, but the Mockingbirds promise you won't want to live with the consequences of not following through.

Author Whitney tells a compelling story of a society of smart, successful teenagers forced to police their own community when the adults aren't quite up to the task.  At the same time, she brings up questions of the nature of justice and explores how law and fairness require the participation of everyone in the community.  What rules are the right rules?  How do you keep everyone safe and happy without infringing on the rights of others?  It's a fundamental question of democracy on a small scale . . . because even boarding school is a little like real life.