Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

Alex Gregory, upset with his parent’s impending divorce, makes a bad decision.  He gets into his father’s left-behind liquor, steals his mom’s car, and drives off to confront his dad.  What results is a wrecked car, garden gnome decapitation, a drunk driving charge, and 100 hours of community service.  Alex is ordered by the tough judge to spend his hours at Egbert P. Johnson Memorial Home for the Aged working with a cranky old man named Solomon Lewis.  The story that develops is a mix of mystery, sad regret, new love, old love, and grand humor.