Fake ID
Written by Lamar Giles

Summary:
An African-American teen in the Witness Security Program moves to a new town and finds himself trying to solve a murder mystery when his first friend is found dead.

Primary Source Pairing:
Nick Pearson (not his real name) is in a new town and starts over again with a new identity. Nick and his family are in the Witness Security Program (WITSEC) due to a situation with Nick’s father and a gang leader. As the story progresses, Nick makes many surprising discoveries about his new town and its ties to the WITSEC program. For this primary source pairing, invite student to analyze the US Marshals Service Fact Sheet about the Witness Security Program. What new knowledge can be applied to Nick’s plight in Fake ID?

Questions for Discussion:

• Describe what you see.
• What do you notice first?
• Describe anything you see on the page besides words, such as images or decorations.
• How is the text and other information arranged on the page?
• Describe anything about this text that looks strange or unfamiliar.
• What other details can you see?
• What was the purpose of this text?
• What feelings do you have analyzing this document?
• What can you learn from examining this?

Credits:
Book Cover and Summary: Follett
WITSEC fact sheet: USMarshal.gov