5 comments about The Queen of Everything.

1. I was a Deb Caletti fan from Honey, Baby, Sweetheart and Wild Roses and just found The Queen Of Everything. Caletti's books totally rock. Looking for something beyond your average teen read? Her characters are real, multi-dimensional people who you forget aren't real. I love it that teens have these kind of books that don't talk down to them or spoon feed their entertainment. Caletti makes you think, and provides a true and memorable world. Can't wait for the next one.



2. Jordan's life is about to change forever. This teenage girl thought the worse thing that could happen to her would be her artsy mother embarrassing her yet again. Then, her father - the "normal" one, the parent she chose to live with after the divorce, the optometrist - becomes the epicenter of a scandal.
   
   I read this novel when it was released in 2002 and it haunts me to this day. To say this is simply about what happens when teenagers realize that their parents are people too would be accurate, but incomplete. This book is an absolutely amazing story of a girl, a family, and a violent crime. Stunning.



3. Jordan MacKenzie is your average high-school junior. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her dad, she has a new boyfriend, and an after-school job that's only so-so. Her father has always seemed like the "normal" one: he's an optometrist, where as her mother is a leftover hippie who runs a B&B. Then Jordan meets Gayle. Gayle is married, and she's also dating Jordan's father. Jordan feels trapped: she knows it's wrong, but her dad tells her it's his own business. Then things start to spiral scarily out of control, and Jordan feels trapped. This book tells movingly and compellingly the story of a teen who is lost, and has nowhere to run. Although the circumstances are not extremely commonplace, Jordan's emotions are, and you'll be anticipating what will happen next, in both Jordan's life and her father's, for the whole book.



4. everytime going into the bookstore i would look at THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING and end up not getting it. until one day i decided to buy it. i love this book! it is one of my favortie books to read to this day.
   
   sixteen year old Jordan's dad is falling for a woman named gail. but gail is married and her sons go to jordan's school. THE QUEEN OF EVERYTHING has a polt truning, page turning thriller like book that everyone has to read!



5. Sure we all have are bad moments with our parents. But think about it... is it really all that bad?
   
   Jordan MacKenzie is a teen in high school. So far her life has been pretty normal except for her mom. She was so embarrased by her mom that she decided to move in with her dad who she thought was the normal one. She gets a job at "True You" which is a health center and finds a new best friend, Melissa Beene. Then when everything seems to be normal she meets Gayle D'Angelo. She is a very beautiful lady her dads age and is married to a man who is very rich. At first she doesn't think much of it when this mysterious lady asks about her and her father. Then later on she discovers that her dad and this lady are having an affair even though Gayle is married. They start to make this "friendship" more and more public untill Gayle D'Angelo's husband hires guys to follow Jordan's Dad around. While all this is happening Jordan is worried about her Dad and his safty. She is also hurt that he is doing this even though he knows its not right.
   
   During this book, Jordan begins to realise who are her friends and who aren't. She also learns to deal with bad situations. This book was very good at showing what some teens have to deal with. While reading this book you will be able to see into the mind of a teenager going throught a tragity that will effect her the rest of her life.
   
   By: Anne Tshudy
   Mrs. Bains 3rd Block Class

5 comments about Live, Laugh, Love Again: A Christian Woman's Survival Guide to Divorce.

1. Excellent book for any woman who's going through a divorce or is recently divorced! Easy read ~ would highly recommend it!



2. As I struggled to live through a divorce that I did not want I tried to find books that would comfort me and make me feel like I was not alone. This book did just that. It is a wonderful read and brings hope when you feel all hope is lost. I would recommend this to any woman who is going through a divorce, especially one that they do not want. These four women made me feel that I can survive this and one day learn to live, laugh and love again.



3. By the end of the book, I felt like I was one of the gang with Michelle, Connie, Rosalind and Carla. These women tell it like it is, with a sense of humor so desperately needed in a time of trouble and pain. Some of the sharing is so hilarious that I found myself nodding my head and wiping my eyes, from laughing so hard.
   
   Being a Christian woman myself, I was unsure how to treat my soon to be ex-husband, what to do with the confused, sad and angry feelings that I felt after being "dumped" after 17 years. I also didn't know what to do with the new girlfriend. I found answers in this book. Perhaps the biggest enlightenment was the fact that the ex didn't walk away free and easy, that his conscience will trouble him from now on and that how he deals with his leaving our family is between him and God, and no longer my problem!
   
   Amazingly, after identifying with these women and no longer feeling alone, I was able to process my feelings and move to forgiveness and even a bit of pity. (The girlfriend dumped him shortly after that - which did help.) I am employed after years of being a stay-at-home Mom, closer to God than I have been in a long time and feeling positive and free. Sometimes it takes time away to recognize the cloud you have lived under for years and that life is truly full of joy. This book helped turn my head around!
   
   My personal experience is that now my ex wants to stop the divorce and reunite the family. I have had a clear message from the Holy Spirit that I am NOT to do this - at least at this time. (It would just continue to be more of the same thing.) So, from fighting the divorce initially, I am now the one who desires freedom and who allows Jesus to be my husband. I am no longer alone.
   
   I would highly recommend this book.



4. I've read way too many books on marriage, separation, divorce and healing now. I have my own mini-library of them, unfortunately. But this was one of the best books I read while trying to come to terms with the turn my life had taken. I definately could identify with each of these ladies stories, and yet it's a very uplifting book - at a time when I was at my lowest.



5. I would have never suspected my husband to be capable of cheating on me, not even to the slightest degree. When I found out he was having a full-blown affair, I was shocked. I separated from my unfaithful husband. I was very pregnant and still reeling from the initial shock of his infidelities.
   
   After some couples and individual counseling, I realized reconciliation was not an option (there were multiple offenses, multiple women, and a lack of effort from my husband to heal our relationship). I filed for divorce and am slowly but surely trying to recover from the loss. Life certainly threw me a curve ball, but I have an amazing support system around me, and will eventually get through this.
   
   I was interested in any books that addressed the issue of separation/divorce in the wake of infidelity. Up to that point the only Christian books I was able to find leaned heavily towards reconciliation. Since that was not an option for me, I was left feeling forlorn and hopeless to find something I could connect with. I was stuck in a very difficult position - not wanting my marriage to end, but having no other choice but to separate from a man with a serious sexual addiction. Even having Biblical reasons to leave didn't make it any easier.
   
   This was one of two books that have truly helped me on my path to recovery. They are written by amazing Christian women. They offer hope to women facing the end of marriages (that they never wanted to end). It was like a breath of fresh air - being able to read their testimonies and know that I was not alone in my feelings and reactions to my divorce. Their candid advice and encouragement was exactly what I needed.
   
   These books certainly appeal to any woman left standing alone wondering what happened to the husband she thought she married.
   
   When He Leaves, by Kari West and Noelle Quinn
   Live, Laugh, Love Again, by Michelle Borquez, Connie Wetzell, Rosalind Sparks-Seay, and Carla Sue Nelson.

5 comments about Young Pioneers (Little House).

1. Well written . Being a fan of Little House Books, I enjoyed reading something written by Laura and Almonzos daughter.



2. I finished this in several hours; couldn't put it down. Definitely worth the time.



3. I read this book from our local library as "Let the Hurricane Roar". As you say, same book. I read all the Little House books as a child and loved them, of course. I have the collection here and wanted to add Rose's books to my collection. I like Rose's manner of writing also and wish they didn't change the title.
   
   I have had excellent service from Amazon Books and will be looking for more hard to find items thru your company.



4. Honestly, this book is a compilation of some of Laura's best stories and not a very well written one at that. It was a rip off of the high points of the Laura Ingalls Wilder series.
   
   I found the two main characters entirely unlikable. They were bland and boring. We were told to like the characters and sympathize with the characters, but I found myself almost amused when the grasshoppers attacked their crops.
   
   The writing completely dull. Every storyline had been done before. There was absolutely no originality. The only reason it is getting two stars is because she has Laura for a mother. It is no wonder that her books are not nearly as popular as her mother's.



5. There is a reason that Rose Wilder Lane, once a hugely famous journalist and novelist, is now largely remembered as an afterthought when her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder is mentioned. After reading claims, that Rose took a more than 'editorial' part in her mother's Little House series, and then finding out that this was book was somewhat modeled after her grandparents, Charles and Caroline Ingalls, I had to read it. Luckily, this one is still often reprinted. Here are my thoughts, however educated or not so, they may be: I think this book was tremendously interesting. I startled time and again reading things like "Wild Plum Creek", and about the grasshopper plagues, so familiar from Laura's "On the Banks of Plum Creek". I was suprised (in almost a good way) to read about some of the harsher things that Molly (as she is called in this version) had to do to survive. We definately wouldn't read about some those gory aspects in a Little House book. I actual could have really liked this book if it weren't for the way it was written. Rose's plot line was great (the ending was too abrupt though). But there was absolutely no personalizing her characters here at all. This read like history...this happened and this happened. Oh, and they were madly in love. I never felt like they were madly in love, except for the fact that Rose tells me so in the book once in awhile. In Laura's stories I feel the love between Pa and Ma, in his 'twinkling' eyes as he looks on her..as his first thoughts are usually things to do to make Ma happier wherever they settle. You can feel the love between parents and child(ren) in Laura's books as well. In the soft words, Pa and Ma speak to comfort the children. In the ways Pa and Ma think of their children as they try to soften the blows so frequently felt from the prairie.
   
   There is none of that in Young Pioneers. This story is kind of bland. I think this should be an example pointing to the fact that Rose Wilder Lane perhaps (most certainly in fact) edited her mother's stories, and its never been a secret that she typed up Laura's handwritten manuscripts, but Rose Wilder Lane's writing style would have had to completely changed, to have had a serious authorship of the Little House books.

5 comments about Dinner with Friends.

1. Reading an unfavorable online comment from "Plattypus", I came across this sentence -- "Also, Margulies's use of conversation is not believable. Characters are always interrupting each other, which is certainly true in real life. However, in this play they do it constantly, and nobody ever seems to notice." This is a statement that has to be challenged. People in conversation -- particularly heated conversation -- interrupt each other (and themselves) all of the time. I have done experiments transcribing tape-recorded conversations that bear this out. If you're gonna knock a work, do so with a valid argument.



2. I'll avoid giving a synopsis as so many have already. I had the pleasure of seeing this play on stage. I had a conversation afterwards with one of the actors (Gabe) who is a good friend. There's one thing in particular I'd like to point out from the conversation with him. He told me that the play "doesn't read well" - you wind up thinking it's just another overwrought "Thirty-Something". But, it "plays" entirely differently. I will freely admit that the complicated issues brought up by the play had me crying most of the way through it. (Yes, I'm a guy.) Who's right? Who's wrong? Uh... yes! They all are... both right and wrong.

   It would certainly be easy to dismiss this work as just more "Thirty-Something" or as being too "Boomer"-esque. I'm not a Boomer. I'm an X-er, as a matter of fact, and it's resonating very loudly. My partner and I have struggled with the issues raised, as have partners of any generation, and will for generations to come.

   I don't want to discourage anyone from buying the book/script. But please remember, this is a play. Let in be enacted in your mind as you read. Feel the situation. If it's totally foreign, try to go outside of yourself and make it your own. The depth of the drama will come through.




3. This is an emotionally charged, witty, and brilliantly told drama of four friends struggling to understand marriage, divorce, intamacy, and each other. One of the best plays I've seen/read.



4. If you haven't read Dinner With Friends, you won't be disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed it...great plot, great dialogue, great characters, and a bittersweet ending. Definitely a good choice.



5. Dinner with Friends is an interesting, if seriously disturbing. Revolving around two couples that believe themselves extremely close, the play begins with news that Beth and Tom have separated and that Tom has run off with his travel agent. The story that ensues paints all of the characters in an incredibly believable way in which nobody is completely honest, everyone believes that they are right, and the boundaries of friendship for everyone are clearly defined.
   
   As a twenty-five year old man, I found it incredibly disturbing how truly Margulies was able to capture the middle aged experience. The logic of the characters evolution is flawless, and paints a rather grim future for all of us that believe that we're in love and know who our true-blue friends are.

5 comments about Broken Heart on Hold: Surviving Separation.

1. Often I refer to major relationship problems as a 'cancer' that requires rapid response to prevent further damage from the disease. A failing marriage often takes on the same traits as a major illness... the marriage is dying and without attention it will come to an end through divorce. Thankfully Linda's excellent book on the value of separation will be like chemotherapy for dying marriages and will likely save many of them from ending in a divorce because of the practical insights and systematic approach to come to a place of peaceful resolution on the road to restoration. It's invaluable from a counseling perspective and may be exactly what you need to save your marriage. This would be a great tool to give to friends or family members who don't want a divorce, but know that something's got to change. Structured separations may be the answer they are looking for and this book will show them how.



2. A good friend went through a separation. My marriage was strong, so I kept silent. After all, what did I have to say? But this book is written by someone who has walked in my friend's shoes. She understands how my friend feels because she has experienced the heartache, the anger, the loss, the confusion, and the hope that things might get better. It is a perfect resource to place in my friend's hands. It's written in devotion style, which makes perfect sense since my friend says that she's living one day at a time. Thanks, Linda W. Rooks, for writing this book for women who don't need pithy statements, but to know that someone else has walked in their shoes with hope and faith.



3. Linda - thank you so much for writing this book. I'm reading another Christian book on separation; and it does have good insight. But there is something so precious and valuable from hearing from a Christian woman who has GONE THROUGH what she is writing about. I identify with so much of what she says and, while I've only just started reading the book, and I'm only a few weeks into a separation from my husband, I have a feeling that what she says is real wisdom. Thank you so much. I would definitely recommend this book.



4. I found this book to be such a help when my husband left. Linda put into words what I was feeling and when the emotions surround and there is no one to talk to, reading the book helps to know you are not alone. She identifies so many of the different feelings going on and empathizes with the reader, but then gives positive direction as to where to place one's hope and trust during the turbulent time to find peace. I've already given a copy to a friend going through a separation and will do so again for anyone I know who is going through a similar situation.



5. During the most difficult time of my life, this book became a best friend. Linda described the multitude of emotions I feel in a way I could not, and showed me that she has been where I am now. Her insight and her faith gave me renewed hope, and I found comfort reading her book. When I am down, I open it and read. When I am confused, I open it and read. When I am ready to throw in the towel, I open it and read. It has never failed to help me. When everyone around me pressured for divorce, (the world's way), she showed me God's way. I am so very thankful to Linda Rook for sharing her experience and her insight with others who are hurting. If you are faced with a broken marriage and living with a broken heart, you need this book!
   
   Andie Koss

1 comments about Gamer Girl.

1. Maddy Starr did not appreciate how great her life was until her parents separated. She was the collateral damage of the split as she no longer attends an exclusive school in New Hampshire but goes to public Hannah Dustin High School as she now lives with her old fashioned grandmother; hip is out and ancient is in. Her fist day freaks her out as she alienates the in boy Billy Henderson, who with his popular friends makes life miserable for Maddy starting with calling her Freak Girl and becomes their favorite person to harass. No one not even the losers will help Maddy battle the most popular "Haters" as she calls Billy and his clique.
   
   For her birthday, her father sends Maddy Fields of Fantasy computer game. Her character is Elfin Princess Allora, who becomes a powerful mage mentored by Sir Leo the tank. Maddy begins to write a manga comic book based on Allora's adventures in the FOF realm and starts a manga club at school.
   
   This is a fun teen tale as Maddy goes from popular to freak when she changes schools. She turns to manga art and FOF as a defense mechanism to temporarily escape her mental pain in the real realm. The GAMER GIRL meets on line Sir Leo and in person Chad Murray, but feels fickle as she likes both of them. Young adult readers will appreciate Maddy's woes as she struggles in real life while escaping albeit temporarily in virtual life.
   
   Harriet Klausner

5 comments about What Every Woman Should Know about Divorce and Custody.

1. This is the most thorough and informative book on divorce issues that I have read. As a divorce attorney, I am always curious to know what other attorneys are thinking. Ms. Smith's perspective and commentary mirror much of my own experiences and conclusions. The book is easy to read and filled with relevant, realistic examples and practical advice. I highly recommend this book to both nonlawyers, who have a reason to learn about this subject and to lawyers so they can refine and expand their knowedge of the divorce process.



2. Well written, easy to understand with loads of advice and comfort for those going through the challenges of a custody battle. The author shares some of her own experiences and leaves you with a feeling of hopeful optimism. I consider this a must-read for any parent going through a divorce. I thought that her comments on dressing for court and behavior during separation were common sense, but perhaps there are some readers who would need to understand better how their image and demeanor affect a judge's perception of them as a parent. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone trying to gain custody of their children.



3. I agree that this book is about dealing with a custody battle. If you have children, and are thinking about getting divorced, I recommend you read "Divorce Busters" because the custody process is truly horrible, and because there are a lot of marriages out there that could and should be saved. Unfortunately mine was not one of those, and this book has been invaluable in guiding me through the process intelligently. There are few underhanded tricks listed, which I rather approve of (although it does mention that you should interview the town's "Shark" lawyer before your husband does so that he can't hire him) Just a LOT of good advice! Read this before you choose your lawyer, and you will get a lot more bang for the considerable bucks you are likely to be investing. Read this BEFORE you leave your family home if possible! But do read it; you won't be sorry.



4. I read this entire book from front to back in 1 day. IT WAS GREAT. Full of useful information and makes you feel that you can do this wether your the initiator or not



5. 
   What Every Woman Should Know About Divorce and Custody is a necessary resource for women and men in the process of going through a divorce, as well as for those trying to decide whether or not to divorce, and even after divorce, when custody and child support issues still rear their ugly heads. It is clear, concise, and comforting. This book is a real eye-opener to those thinking about or just starting the process, and provides important information and tactics to all readers about this brutal process. Many lawyers treat the divorce process like a chess game and this book gives you an insider's view of the system. This book arms you with the information to wage the battle. The book is newly updated. It gives good tips on e-mail, virtual visitation, spyware, and other twenty-first century issues that I hadn't even considered. I had read the author's book Divorce and Money and I found this book on custody to be a great help with all of the custody issues.

3 comments about What Every Woman Should Know About Divorce and Custody (Rev): Judges, Lawyers, and Therapists Share Winning Strategies on How toKeep the Kids, the Cash, and Your Sanity.

1. Women going through a divorce will find this book extremely helpful and even comforting. It's well-written and well-organized. Here's everything you need to know to negotiate a good outcome for yourself and your family.



2. I am both a social worker and a divorced mother and I can tell you this book is terrific. While the book's title says it is for divorced mothers, fathers and therapists would find it helpful as well. I noticed that it is updated with the latest information, including an intriguing chapter on technology and visitation. The issues it addresses are modern as is the advice from professionals and parents. I plan to recommend it to colleagues and clients.



3. This is a very good book for any woman going through a divorce whether you've started the process or just thinking about it, i think this is a MUST HAVE!!! This book gave me plenty of insights as to situations that i had little or no knowledge about whatsoever, please get.

5 comments about Collaborative Divorce: The Revolutionary New Way to Restructure Your Family, Resolve Legal Issues, and Move on with Your Life.

1. The authors have succeeded in creating an easily accessible and remarkably complete guide to thinking about and managing this difficult process. The combination of legal and emotional insight will resonate strongly with anyone who has participated in divorce and goes on to skillfully guide the reader through the alternative. Clearly there is a better way and this work hits on all the different aspects, how to approach them and the high value of avoiding the legal process. This is a must read for anyone contemplating divorce. The outcome will be a dramatically better experience, better settlement and an easier path to the rest of one's life. Top rating.



2. As the matriarch in a very large extended family, where there is much love but conflict may be unavoidable, I read Collaborative Divorce with great interest. I hope my family will not need to use it, but just in case, I bought a copy for each couple around me. Bitter divorces are expensive, painful, they create long-term resentment, and make it difficult to raise healthy children. The damaging effects of failed or thwarted love can and should be avoided. That is the point of this book. According to the authors, when there is a commitment to integrity, ethical
   behavior, clear communications, and constructive problem-solving, a divorce should be a solution and not a cause for more entrenched conflict. Collaborative Divorce shows there are smarter and kinder ways for a couple to part.
   ISABEL ALLENDE



3. This book was very informative and is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in the collaborative process. I highly recommend it!



4. Many divorce lawyers (including me) are jumping on the band wagon for this much more respectful way to divorce. Pauline Tesler is one of the top trainers in the industry and has a huge following among divorce professionals. This is not a how-to-do-it-yourself book but helps you make more intelligent decisions about how to handle your divorce.
   
   Buy one for yourself and one for your to-be ex spouse.



5. As a long-time family law practitioner, I believe that the Collaborative approach to divorce and separation offers the best chance for couples to divorce each other without destroying the complex network of family and friends that is a part of every marriage. Pauline Tesler's highly readable book clearly explains Collaborative practice and how it can accomplish the preservation of a peaceful reformation of a family contemplating divorce. This is a must read for anyone, attorney or private party, who has anything to do with divorce Please read it--if not for yourself, for a friend, a neighbor, a family member.

5 comments about My Brother's Keeper.

1. By:Eric Evans
   Once again Toby is cleaning up all the mess his brother and his friends make when they're high off drugs. This time they ate all the food in the cupboard. Toby cleans it all up and sprays Magic Citrus to kill the smell. This isn't the first time that they have made a wreck of the house after being high. Sometimes Toby's brother Jake has come home high at eleven `o clock. Not only this but Toby `s mom has had a depression or "constant headache" mood every since they're father left. Toby has a little brother named Eli that he constantly watches. One day Toby can't take his family sinking lower and lower every day so he steals the bag his brother keeps his drugs in and flushes them down the toilet. When Jake finds out he steals Toby's prized possession. He steals his Stargell Pittsburgh Pirates rookie card. After this Eli goes missing. Now everything comes together again. There are some cops that come to Toby's house that drop off Eli and say they found him near the highway. Just as Toby's mom is being informed by the cops about Eli the phone rings and a man says Jake has been caught with drugs. Jake has a day out of juvenile for court and that night Toby and their family have the orange meal which is this dinner Toby and Jake thought of it is made of mandarin oranges, macaroni n cheese, and Cheetos. I would recommend this book to a lot of people because it is so close to reality. Think of all the little brothers who have big brothers whom do drugs, but don't get their brothers help because they are scared.
   One reason I like this book was because of how realistic it was. Toby in the story loves his brother, but is fearful of telling someone because he knows the consequences and doesn't want to do that to his brother. Also at the same time he has another little brother he has to watch over all the time because their mom works a lot. This is because their dad left their mom a while back to go to California. Now their mom is trying to find another guy to fall in love with. The reason I call this book realistic is because you can see that this situation is a combination of everyday problems for children growing up.
   For some reason you can't put this book down; it isn't left at suspense at the end of the chapter, but it keeps you into the book. You want to know if on the next page Jake gets caught, if Toby tells on him or if he gets away with it. Then not only do you want to know about that, but you want to know what is going on with Toby's personal life for example if he makes the baseball team. Another reason the book is hard to put down is because tension builds and builds on Toby between all these issues then everything falls apart and brings the family closer together.
   Another thing I like about the book is the ending and how things from the beginning piece together with things from the ending. For example how they mentioned old hobbies of Jake that Toby is now interested in. Also how they mentioned the orange meal. I thought these were all just mentioned for nothing, but at the end Toby and Jake spend the afternoon together and have the orange meal for dinner.
   I would recommend this realistic, hard to put down novel by Patricia McCormick to anyone. It is touching to watch Toby struggle with everyday life in his house. Read My Brother's Keeper to find out what everyday life is like for a boy named Toby and how it all comes crashing down in the end.



2. "My Brother's Keeper," is written by the best selling author of "Cut", Patricia McCormick. This book is about a young boy named Toby that goes through a lot; he is 13 years old and already has gray hairs. He goes from having a loving family that is always there for each other to having only his mother who starts going out every night, his big brother, Jake, who smokes pot and goes out all the time, and his little brother, Eli, who Toby isn't around very often.
   Most of Toby's time is spent with Mr. D who has a store that Toby helps him with. Toby doesn't always understand what Mr. D's advice is telling him sometimes, but he always figures it out later in the book. This is a quote that I liked that Mr. D had said, "Living is all about letting go." Mr. D and Toby love to collect Pirates baseball cards. Mr. D had given him a card that Toby really loved and that he had wanted all his life, the Stargell.
   This year Toby had tried out for baseball and had made the team. He plays catcher. Toby also likes a girl named Martha MacDowell and he had talked to her about baseball and found out that she also plays as catcher. Knowing that Jake is a very good baseball player Toby later finds out that his older brother Jake is not trying out for baseball this year, when last year he had helped their team win their division.
   Toby ends up having to always have to lie and cover up for his brother to their mom. Like why he isn't home or why he feels sick. One night Toby's life all starts falling apart. And there is a surprising ending to the story.
   I would recommend this book to people that have family problems and to people who don't. For the people who don't have family problems, they can see how a family acts and what goes on. It also shows you how good of a family you may have compared to Toby's family. And this book will help you appreciate what you have. The book also makes you want to read on to see what Toby is going to do next and if their family problems will ever get solved.



3. My Brother's Keeper is the story of a single parent family consisting of mom and her three sons: Eli who is slightly strange, has a bike called Tonto and a female cat called Mr. Furry; Jake, who has fallen into "bad company," decided that his beloved baseball is uncool and started using drugs; and finally Toby, a 13-year-old with grey hair and whose best friend is the local shopkeeper called Mr. D (who also happens to be a pensioner).
   
   It is Toby who takes it upon himself to try and hold his family together after his alcoholic father left. He does so by covering up for his older brother Jake and hiding his mom's bill because he knows she can't afford to pay them. Unfortunately Toby's best intentions don't always work out quite to plan and before too long, the family nearly enters meltdown.
   
   Patricia McCormick has succeeded in bringing to the fore the problems faced by teens today with regard to the availability of drugs and the hassles they can bring to a family. She also manages to touch upon the breakdown that can occur when one parent leaves, with no regard for the rest of the family and the emotional turmoil and the further problems it can lead to.
   
   However, as good as the story was and as touching and likeable Toby appeared, the book seemed to be lacking a depth that would have allowed the reader to get more inside the world of the disintegrating family.
   
   The book is aimed at younger teenagers, so this may be the reason for the apparent surface nature of the drug abuse, but a great opportunity was missed to investigate and explore the sheer destructive nature of the problem at hand. I feel that the message could have been put across more clearly if the story had continued with "what happened next."
   
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Overall My Brother's Keeper was an easy, likeable and touching read, but it was lacking some depth.



4. A brother's love is a brother's love: one of the many truths to life and family. In MY BROTHER'S KEEPER, Patricia McCormick tells a sharp tale of the often too-complex relationships between brothers, and the unspoken feelings and subtleties of such a fragile thing.
   
   Toby idolizes his big brother Jake. Jake's the typical big brother figure; cool, funny, charming, and the school baseball team stud. But things don't always turn out to be as great as they appear on the surface. Internally, there are struggles. Toby's father has left their family to search his fortune elsewhere and has seemed to cease all contact with them. His mother is distant and has taken a stance of resignation. And to complicate the situation even more so, inevitably past Toby's endurance, Jake has fallen into a rut he cannot get out of. The world of drugs.
   
   Now Jake doesn't seem to be around as much anymore. He leaves the house, returning in the middle of the night faded and disillusioned, leaving the responsibility up to Toby to clean things up, make everything seem fine, and to smooth away the creases.
   
   But when Jake finally goes too far, will it be up to Toby to decided how to handle things? Will he rat his brother out, breaking the cardinal rule of the big-brother/little-brother relationship, trespassing on regions of brotherhood Toby has never touched upon?
   
   McCormick creates a completely believable and down-to-earth narrative of internal struggles in the mind of a growing boy's problems in not only the broader family unit, but also the profound nuances of the complicated structure of kinship between siblings. Not only that, but she manages to keep it lighthearted at the right moments, as well as comedic at others.
   
   Cheers to P.M.
   
   Reviewed by: Long Nguyen



5. Imagine that your brother one of the most prominant young athletes throws it all away for drugs. That is the problem that Toby faces in My Brothers Keeper. Jake is the best athlete in town and maybe even in the city, he is great at baseball and other sports but Toby becomes suspicious when he hangs out with the wrong people and he starts changing. He does not care about anything anymore and gets all mopey. When Toby flushes a bag of Jakes Marijuana down the toilet Jake sells Tobys most prized posession to get money for the drugs back. To see if Toby can help Jake go back to his old self you have to read this good book.
   I thought that this book was good because it showed very good real world problems that can be happening every day. Having your stuff stolen and then sold is something many people have to go through because of how addictive drugs can be. People are careless about everything else when it comes to drugs and this book is a great example of how careless they can really be. This book is such a great example of how people can change because of such a silly thing like drugs and I believe that people whould put time aside to read it
   I would reccomend this book to teenagers because it can help show them how dangerous experimenting with drugs can be. The book shows what a person will do to get drug money and also the repercussions of what happens after your able to get the money. I think that if teens who are thinking about using drugs read this they will choose to stay away from them because of what happens. I would also reccomend this book to people that like dramas and people that like books where a family member has to help another overcome a bad time of their life.