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From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)

Eleven-year-old Jarrett and twelve-year-old Kevon are thrown together when Jarrett’s mom becomes a temporary foster parent to Kevon and his two-year-old sister. Kevon is cool in a way Jarrett isn’t, inviting easy admiration from other kids. In Jarrett’s mind, that makes Kevon a potential threat socially, not to mention someone with whom he has to share his room. Meanwhile Kevon resents the implication that he can’t care for his sister — a responsibility he’s used to — and worries about his mentally ill dad. He has no time for Jarrett’s jealousy. Author Coe Booth’s characters are likable, genuine, and flawed in all the ways that make us human, with adults and kids alike in her story well-rounded and wonderfully real. The two boys have good hearts but their treatment of each other ranges from bright moments of generosity to indifference to cruelty. The larger African American community — from Jarrett’s mom and her boyfriend to teachers at school and adults at the community center — strives to make a difference in the lives of these boys and other children, preparing them for a world that is not always fair or just. But for Jarrett and Kevon to make peace with one another they must let go of anger and hurt, and acknowledge the bond that has developed between them in spite — or because — of everything. (Ages 9–13)

CCBC Choices 2015 © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2015. Used with permission.

From Horn Book

January 1, 2015
Jarrett's mom takes in foster children. The latest arrival, toddler Treasure, comes with a surprise: her older brother, Kevon, will be sharing Jarrett's room. Relations between the boys are tense from the start, so Jarrett concocts an ill-advised plan to get Kevon's estranged father to take Kevon home. The myriad subplots threaten to overwhelm the narrative, but Jarrett's credible voice carries the day.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Horn Book

November 1, 2014
Jarrett has a complicated home life. The would-be seventh grader is technically an only child, but his mom takes in foster children; therefore they "get all kinda babies all the time." The latest arrival, toddler Treasure, comes with a surprise: her older brother, Kevon, will be sharing Jarrett's room. But that's only part of the problem. Jarrett, who is attending summer school to avoid repeating sixth grade, has an inferiority complex where Kevon is concerned: Kevon seems to be better than Jarrett at basketball, meeting girls, everything. Relations between the two boys are tense from the start, so Jarrett concocts an ill-advised plan to get Kevon's estranged father to take Kevon home. This leads to disaster, and Jarrett is called on to fix his mistake -- and save Kevon in the process. Booth has a whole lot on her plate here. The myriad subplots (including Jarrett's best friend Ennis's struggle to come out of the closet; an asthma attack that nearly kills Jarrett; and the rocky relationship between Jarrett's mom and her boyfriend) threaten to overwhelm the narrative, but Jarrett's remarkably credible voice carries the day. Jarrett is, admittedly, hard to love for most of the story, but his ultimate redemption is well earned and satisfying. Booth (Tyrell, rev. 1/07; Kendra, rev. 11/08) has won acclaim for her YA titles; her middle-grade debut shows that she can write for a younger audience as well. sam bloom

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From Booklist

September 15, 2014
Grades 4-7 Eleven-year-old Jarrett is used to having foster babies in the house. Then case workers bring 12-year-old Kevon and Kevon's baby sister, Treasure, and Jarrett feels nothing but resentment about sharing his room with the new boy. Between his asthma attacks and difficulty passing summer school, Jarrett has enough to worry about without Kevon in his business. But as Jarrett learns why Kevon and Treasure are in foster care, he starts to see things in a different light. Readers will identify with Jarrett, whose angry outbursts and cluelessness about girls are realistic and relatable. Although there are many teachable moments here, they never sound didactic, and Booth deftly illustrates how difficult it can be for both kids and adults to take responsibility for their actions and do the right thing. The multiple plotlines naturally reflect the complexities of modern life and add depth to Jarrett's story. This is an excellent title to help fill the void for younger readers seeking compelling, realistic stories set in America's inner cities.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

From School Library Journal

September 1, 2014

Gr 4-6-Life is a very complicated affair if you happen to be 11-year-old Jarrett of Newark, New Jersey. He is asthmatic and about to fail summer school. His mother takes in almost any foster child, including kids with special needs. The last straw is the arrival of two siblings, the developmentally challenged toddler, Treasure, and her tall, athletic 12-year-old brother, Kevon, who will be sharing Jarrett's room. Jarrett has had to share his mother's attention for as long as he can remember but never before had to give up his personal space. The friction between Jarrett and Kevon gains momentum when Kevon makes the basketball team and shows off for the girls, including Caprice, the girl Jarrett has a crush on. The protagonist is bound to get even at all costs. He spies on Kevon and his social worker, digging for any way to humiliate his foster brother without thought to the consequences. A pattern of mutual cruelties is set into motion which rapidly escalates on both sides. Plot and characters are realistic and engaging. References to farts, foot odor, and disgusting toenails abound. Gross-out humor aside, this is a solid story about dealing with problems that threaten to overwhelm and the importance putting one's own personal pain aside to understand the pain of another.-Kathy Cherniavsky, Ridgefield Library, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Publisher's Weekly

August 4, 2014
In her first novel for middle-grade readers, Booth (Bronxwood) introduces an African-American family in Newark who open their home to foster children. By the time Kevon, 12, and his two-year-old sister, Treasure, arrive in the middle of the night, 11-year-old Jarrett has had enough of his mother's charity. Jarrett is forced to share a room with Kevon, who acts distant and ungrateful, and he's also annoyed to be attending summer school, with the threat of having to repeat the sixth grade. Even his usual joysâ€Â"crushing on his down-to-earth friend Caprice, taking step class at a neighborhood center, and making horror movie trailers with his best friendâ€Â"are overshadowed by Kevon's presence. Jarrett snoops into Kevon's past in hopes of getting rid of him, but, predictably, the truth he uncovers evokes sympathy. Booth offers candid insight into racism, poverty, and the foster care system without becoming heavy-handed; she also sensitively depicts a character's coming-out moment. Jarrett's evolution from a position of resistance to an acceptance of circumstances beyond his control is believably subtle. Ages 8â€Â"12. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

From Kirkus

July 15, 2014
Booth offers a glimpse of gritty inner-city life for a middle-grade audience through the eyes of 11-year-old Jarrett. Jarrett's failing summer school, making an ignominious repetition of sixth grade seem all too likely. His mother, fine at nurturing a long series of foster babies, is surprisingly oblivious to his floundering attempts to manage the schoolwork and his resulting discouragement, an emotional distance she also maintains with strong male role model Terrence, her boyfriend. Then she takes in Kevon, mature beyond his 12 years, and his toddler sister, Treasure. Jarrett resentfully shares his room and life with Kevon, but he also spies on him, discovering much about his foster brother's mysterious, unhappy past. At the same time, he and best friend Ennis are cleverly crafting a horror film trailer at the community center that plays a major, positive role in local kids' lives. Ennis is exploring his growing realization that "I don't like girls, and I don't think I ever will," a revelation Jarrett sensitively accepts, in sharp, not fully explained contrast to his increasingly bitter, self-indulgent conflict with Kevon. The many plotlines keep the narrative brisk, enhanced by believable dialogue and nicely rounded characters, even though their motivations don't always feel fully justified.Jarrett's frank view of the inner-city perils he faces is optimistically balanced by the strengths offered by family, friends and his community. (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From AudioFile Magazine

Narrator John Clarence Stewart perfectly captures this painful yet joyous story featuring the biological son of a dedicated foster mother. Eleven-year-old Jarrett is accustomed to the babies his mother frequently cares for, but he's unhappy when 12-year-old Kevon accompanies one of the babies. Stewart deftly portrays Jarrett's kindness to the babies, his many friendships, his pent-up anger towards Kevon, and his sweet crush on Caprice. He also conveys the warmth and gorgeous Guyanan accent of Jarrett's mom; her caring boyfriend, Terrence; and Jarrett's spirited best friend, Ennis. Stewart is quite scary when Jarrett "spies" on Kevon to learn about his background. Young listeners will ache for Jarrett when he must repeat fifth grade in this genuine work of realistic fiction. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine