Lee wants to be a Tarantula a member of the biggest, most powerful gang in his neighbourhood. But when his initiation goes wrong and the police catch him robbing an auto supply store, Lees father sends him to live with his aunt in New Toronto. Lee feels more lost than ever. His mothers death from cancer, and his fathers constant absence working two jobs mean he has practically had to raise himself. But though he initially resists his Aunt Reena and the customers of Reenas Unique Caf a ragtag collection of the unusual, the unkempt and the deeply eccentric Lee gradually learns to open himself up to his new surroundings. When Lee strikes up an unlikely friendship he is suddenly confronted by the ravages of violence, and is forced to face the consequences of his own aggression.The Blue Helmet is a powerful portrait of one young mans struggle to come into his own, and the peace that comes from the achievement.From the Hardcover edition.