(2) 4-6 Ten-year-old Jake struggles with his sister's asthma, his status as a "Low Expectation" kid at school, and his parents' fighting. Fortunately, he has a good friend, a cantankerous but protective neighbor, and an inventive imagination used to tell his sister stories. The first-person narration reveals Jake to be capable and resilient. The dialogue is realistic, and each character is conveyed compassionately.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2008

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Layne Johnson. Chad is worried that Ben, his developmentally disabled little brother, will ruin his family's first camping trip. Although the trip has its ups and downs, including Ben's being teased by two boys, Chad keeps it all in perspective. Illustrated with textured watercolors that are occasionally stiff, the text honestly portrays both the humor and the frustration of living with a developmentally disabled sibling, a subject discussed in more detail in the author's note.

Reviewer: Erica L. Stahler

(4) YA A badly burned boy begins a telephone romance with a girl he is afraid to meet. A group of friends harass a mentally handicapped young man. A lonely teenage girl finds romance on a hot summer night. This generally downbeat short story collection contains a few didactic tales, but most of the stories effectively capture flickering moments of adolescent growth and change.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.