The Juvie Three by Gordon Korman

Although it has some humor in it, this isn't the usual funny Gordon Korman book. It's the story of three juvenile criminals, all imprisoned for different reasons, who are brought together to a halfway house by a well-meaning guy named Douglas Healy. They must behave perfectly or they will be sent back to prison. Of course, they don't all behave perfectly and when Healy takes a sort-of accidental fall the boys have a choice to make—own up to their part in the accident and get sent back to prison or cover up the accident and try to pretend that everything is normal. Healy goes to the hospital and wakes up with amnesia. Gecko, one of the boys, volunteers in the hospital to keep track of Healy's condition. There he meets a nice girl and they start a relationship. However, she doesn't know Gecko's true story. The ways that the boys cover up their secrets aren't always realistic, and the ending is definitely happier than real-life, but it's an engaging story with interesting characters who have complex motivations. This should appeal to kids who like to read about crime and gangs, as well as kids who like a good story with lots of action.