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(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Elizabeth Thayer.
While waiting for his older brother to return from the war, twelve-year-old Jeremy adjusts to his mother's death from influenza, gets into a disagreement with his father, and runs away to Boston--where he helps save a trapped fireman during the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. Though the characters and rather naive writing style might seem old-fashioned to modern readers, Jeremy is engaging and the father-son relationship is believable.
202 pp.
| Houghton
| April, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-618-26365-9$$15.00
(4)
YA
Devon engages in ritualized behaviors, such as counting items into groups of four and buttoning all the shirts in his closet. Life becomes even more complicated when he's accused of a crime at his new school. This portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder at times reads like a by-the-numbers case study; nevertheless, the humorously narrated novel will appeal to teens.
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
Dan Murphy.
After living in several foster homes, Andy is placed for adoption with Jeff and Laurie Sizeracy. The twelve-year-old narrator, who has attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, immediately begins testing the limits of his new guardians by arguing, stealing, and making false claims of molestation. Though Andy's narrative is long-winded and overly detailed, his bad behavior is believably portrayed.