Illustrated by Mike Benny Rating: Very Good
Greenwillow, 2008, $17.89
ISBN: 9780688172954
Greenwillow, 2008, $17.89
ISBN: 9780688172954
This collection of short poems is told from the point of view of a young boy named Xavier. When his mother gets remarried, Xavier doesn’t like that he has to share everything with his new stepbrother, Chris. What he doesn’t realize is that Chris is extremely shy and dealing with a lot of grief over missing his own mother. The poems capture a lot of the difficult feelings children experience when families are merged together such as tension, jealousy, and loss. But the poems also capture the friendship that develops between the boys and many of the good things about getting new family members. Eventually, Xavier gives Chris a chance, realizing that Chris is not trying to steal his place. In the end, the boys are brought together by their shared experience and genuinely come to appreciate one another. This is a good book for elementary-age kids because it isn’t too heavy. In spite of the seriousness of the subject, there is a lot of humor and the illustrations are bright and cheerful. The poetry format works very well because it keeps the text on each page to a minimum and the progression of time seems natural without a lot of explanation. This is a good choice for libraries needing more books in their collection about step-families.
Reviewer: Sarah Stimson, Orange County Public Library/Irvine University Park
