3.5An adopted boy feels conflicted as he travels halfway around the world with his parents to bring home his new adopted sibling.He is able to put aside some of his anger about being abandoned when he realizes that he can understand his new brother in a way that nobody else can.His surliness towards his parents, though understandable, seems like it will never end, and it is nice to see a hint of happiness in his future by the end of the book. I spotted this one at the library in the "New Reads for Kids." It isn't often that you see a book for this age group that is actually about adoption, unless being adopted is kind of a fun plot twist that makes the main character more quirky. Or I suppose adoption as a dark plot element -- plucky orphan attempting to escape evil adoptive family kind of thing. I thought Kodohata did a good job of exploring Jaden's complicated and often conflicting feelings and his difficulty trusting and attaching to his parents. Jaden was a likeable kid struggling with some very big emotions and I like the idea that a child (or adult) could read this book and maybe feel some empathy for children (adopted or not) who might appear unlikeable on the surface because of challenges in their lives. The ending felt a little too neat for me, especially given that Penni and Steve repeatedly express concerns about their ability to parent a child with special needs. Another concern I had was that the author thanks numerous adoptive parents in her acknowledgments but no adult adoptees -- their voices are so often missing and, especially for a book like this, the perspective of the adoptee could have been so influential.
What do You think about Untitled Middle-Grade Novel (2014)?
It needed a few more pages, the ending left me thinking that's it? I need more information!
—ohhitracy
A touching story about a young boy who was adopted and how he learned to love.
—jwella96
