Who is TJ?

TJ Avery is one of Stacey's friends. He is described as a thin, thirteen-year-old boy, who provides the Logan children with information about the racial incidents in the area. TJ cheats on tests, is responsible for Mama being fired, and he hangs out at the Wallace store. His "friendship" with the older, Simms brothers leads him to commit a crime that nearly costs him his life. TJ is the catalyst for an eruption of racial tension. and in the end, it is likely that he will be sent to a chain gang for a murder that the Simms brothers committed.