Don't try this at home

If you have a problem, I wouldn't recommend you deal with it like Alex did in Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick.  But the way he dealt with the consequences of his actions was pretty cool.  Upset about his parents' separation, Alex gets drunk, takes his mom's car, and crashes into a garden gnome.  He's basically a good kid, and the judge sentences him to 100 hours of community service at a nursing home.  He gets paired up with Sol Lewis, a cranky old guy who's fond of playing practical jokes.  At first, Sol is basically a pain, but he and Alex end up bonding over their shared passion of guitar playing.  Sol eventually gives Alex guitar lessons, advice on girls (very funny), and insight into Sol's past.  There's a neat little tweak at the end of the book - you may figure it out ahead of time. Alternating between silly and serious, this will especially be appealing to readers who liked Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie.