My Brother Stealing Second [Hardcover]

Jim Naughton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1989

After his older brother is killed in a car accident, sixteen-year-old Bobby tries to come to terms with some disturbing truths about his family and political corruption in their town as well as deal with his profound grief and the beginnings of first love.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8-10-- In a story filled with raw adolescent emotion, Bobby Connely feels keenly the death of his much-admired older brother Billy, who died in a drunk driving accident. Bobby's emotions are a mixture of grief, anger, fear, and guilt. The fear stems from his worries that he too may be headed in the same deadly direction as his brother, with whom he shared both interests (baseball) and destructive habits (drinking). The guilt arises when he sees Annie Dunham, whose parents also died in the accident that Billy caused. Or did he? Bobby learns the shocking truth of a cover-up involving the police, his parents, and the Ryders, the family that controls the town's main industry and many of its people. Now he must not only handle his grief but deal with betrayal as well. This is a story of hurt and healing as Bobby turns to Annie, at first an unlikely source of support and consolation. Naughton has an ear for phrases and analogies that are strikingly descriptive or darkly humorous. This is at times, however, overshadowed by a plot that frequently, sometimes jarringly, shifts back in time to reveal the brothers' experiences, including sexual curiosity, and paints a picture of their closeness and Billy's personality. Annie's acceptance of Bobby and his father's recovery after slipping back into alcoholism are developments that may come a bit too easily. Although the book lacks the power and style of Judith Guest's Ordinary People (Penguin, 1982), another story of a brother's loss, there are scenes (such as the climactic baseball game) in which Naughton's writing stands out. --Susan Schuller, Martin Luther King Library, Milwaukee
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 213 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 1St Edition edition (April 1989)
• ISBN-10: 0060243759
• ISBN-13: 978-0060243753
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #774,347 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book to Teach, July 21, 2007

By 

Tim (Arizona USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Brother Stealing Second (Hardcover)

I have taught high school students who have experienced difficulty reading or who have had no interest in reading. This book was a grabber for almost all of them. It's an interesting story with a moral dilemma that fascinated them. I had one student who admitted that it's the only book he had ever read and enjoyed. This doesn't mean that everyone will enjoy it, but his review meant a lot to me. Sadly the book is out of print, and getting a classroom set might be a problem. However it can still be an interesting assignment if you have the "problem" reader in your class.

4.0 out of 5 stars It's a great book that needs to be shortened., June 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: My Brother Stealing Second (Hardcover)

The book My Brother Stealing Second is about a kid named Bobby Connely who lost his brother, Billy Connely. Billy was a excellent baseball player, but he died in a car crash with the parents of a girl named Annie Dunham. Billy was accused of killing Annie's parents even though he was dead. The accident totally ruins the Connelys. After the accident, Annie's family and Bobby's family tried their hardest to get away from each other. Bobby and Annie changed all their classes so they could never ever see each other. One day Bobby comes up to a hill where he comes all the time to clear his mind. By coincidence, he meets Annie Dunham and they started to talk. First Annie was cold to Bobby, but after a while they became friendlier. Also Mr.Connely used to be a big drinker. After Billy's accident, Mr.Connely started to drink again. Bobby's life was ruined by Billy's accident. One day, Bobby is hanging out with Richie, friend of Billy Connely and finds out a fact that will change everything..... I thought this book was unpredictable. However, the book wasn't very exciting. They had boring parts about Bobby's life. Along with all these uninteresting events, there are a couple of funny parts. Bobby used to wet his hair and freeze it so he could catch cold to skip school. I thought that was pretty tricky and that part attracted me to the book. Also they used inappopriate languages, but I thought that was all right, since they needed it to make the book realistic. I would give this book a 7 since it's a great book with some unnecessary events.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars After Bobby's brother dies things change, Bobby learns truth, August 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: My Brother Stealing Second (Hardcover)

Bobby always wanted to be like his older brother Billy. The GOLDEN BOY. Unfortunately one day Bobby's brother dies in a car crash after he spends the night drinking. Annie Dunham was a girl who's parents were killed in the same accident. Billy was accused of killing them since everyone said he was the driver. All Bobby wants to do is talk to Annie Dunham. And one day Bobby learns a terrible truth that will change a lot.