From School Library Journal
Grade 5–8—Thirteen-year-old Leah loves her family, which includes her mother, stepfather, and five-year-old half brother, Charlie, but she is curious about her biological father, an anonymous sperm donor. She's also embarrassed by the whole idea and refuses to tell her friends. Without her parents' knowledge, she goes to the sperm bank's Web site and makes contact with a girl her age who was fathered by the same donor. From Samantha she learns that she also has three half brothers. Leah's family has recently moved to the New York City area, where she tells everyone that her father is in Europe, and a new friend encourages her to stop obsessing about the opinions of others. The book raises interesting questions about what constitutes a family. While Leah's character rings true, her new best friend, Charlie, and the nine-year-old half brothers she meets at the end occasionally talk and act out of character for their ages. Still, this is a solid story, providing a fresh take on an issue that's rarely addressed.—
Natasha Forrester, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
"A thought-provoking and compelling debut, challenging readers to consider, 'What makes a family?'" -- Cynthia Lord, author of
Rules"This story rocks -- it's warm, insightful, and utterly un-put-down-able." -- Lauren Myracle, author of
ttyl"A solid story, providing a fresh take on an issue that's rarely addressed."--
School Library Journal* "Smart, original, and full of vitality."--
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Her premise is original, and her involving story will invite readers' consideration of the ever-changing meanings of that word
family."--
Booklist
