95 Pounds of Hope
Grade 5-8-Gregory Dubosc, 13, has been left back twice, expelled, and rejected from virtually every school in town. Aside from one nurturing, creative year in kindergarten, his school experience has been a torturous, punitive bore. An only child, Gregory lives with his caring, but unhappily married, overanxious parents. His favorite person in the world is his Grandpa Leon, a brilliant designer and retired architectural consultant. They spend hours in the old man's workshop, and Gregory has been designing gadgets and inventions of his own since preschool. Knowing that a change of scene away from his feuding parents might be the best medicine for the misunderstood boy, Leon suggests boarding school. Gregory finds a technical school that features hands-on activities like woodshop and gardening, which seems promising. Just as life is looking up, Grandpa is hospitalized with a serious illness. Afraid that he might die, Gregory begins to approach life and school with a new determination and spirit to somehow save him. Just when the situation seems hopeless, the old man miraculously shows up at school, IV in tow, for a surprise visit, and Gregory's life has new meaning. This short novel depicts a powerful intergenerational relationship with warmth and humor. Likewise, the boy's first-person narration is witty and engaging. A good choice for struggling students and those who march to a different drummer.Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public SchoolsCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.