The front cover was embossed with a design where the title is repeated as a motif all over the book, with a face of a boy made from the words.
It was about a teenaged boy - whose dad was hard on him. He was in the orchestra and played the trombone; which I remember because he says in the book that it looks like a frog. He tries to impress a girl, but ends up involved in a fight at a game. His dad almost kills him but I think his teacher saves him - and he uses a pen to protect himself.
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Does anyone know the name and author?
(it's a good book
)
TJ