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.

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.

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