Looking for X
Grade 6-8-Eleven-year-old Khyber lives with her mother and autistic twin brothers in a low-income area in Toronto. In addition to her problems at school (she skipped two grades and doesn't fit in), she deals with her mother's decision to send her brothers to a group home, some menacing skinheads, a false accusation of vandalism that gets her expelled, and a search for her homeless friend, "X." Khyber loves her family and gladly goes beyond what one would expect of a child in order to help her mother and "X." Her friends are an odd assortment of characters, all adults. There are just too many quirks and issues to make this book believable. Some aspects of the plot are far-fetched and everything falls into place just a little too neatly at the end. On the other hand, all of the characters seem real and natural. Khyber is a likable protagonist and readers will appreciate how she copes with her issues. If they can accept some of the improbable circumstances, they will enjoy the story.Leslie Ann Lacika, Dingman-Delaware Middle School, Dingman's Ferry, PACopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.