The Death and Life of Benny Brooks
Sort of a Memoir
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- 39,00 kr
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- 39,00 kr
Publisher Description
A BCCB Blue Ribbon Best Book of the Year • A Children's Book Council 6th to 8th Grade Favorites Award List Pick
An award-winning children’s book creator grapples with the challenges of his childhood in this poignant and honest illustrated memoir, for fans of Good Different and Mexikid.
Benny Brooks has a lot on his mind: his older brother won’t stop picking on him, his crush has no idea he exists, and he’s struggling in every class except art. If that weren’t enough, his parents got divorced over the summer. Benny just wants to survive the fifth grade—and maybe learn how to ride his best friend Theo’s hot rod bike.
Featuring Benny’s comic illustrations on every page, this bighearted story sheds light on the transformative nature of growing up—especially when there’s family, friendship, and art to guide you.
*Two Starred Reviews*
★ "Captivating…. Long's heartening memoir portrays a boy facing challenging situations with hard-won hope and increasing maturity." —Booklist, starred review
★ "A tender, vulnerable portrayal of one kid’s attempt to shore up his strengths to piece together the shards of a deeply shattered heart.... Readers will appreciate Long’s honest exploration of a troubled family that is bound both by love and tragedy." —The Bulletin, starred review
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Long (the Junior Monster Scouts series) pulls from events in his childhood to deliver an ardent illustrated novel. A month after 10-year-old Benny's parents' divorce, Benny and his siblings have been living with their chain-smoking father, who recently learned that he has a lump on his lung. Both parents struggle to manage childcare on top of their own difficulties; Mom's new home lacks sufficient sleeping space for all three siblings, and Dad's cancer diagnosis impacts his ability to be present for his children. The family's interpersonal tensions result in emotional tumult for Benny, who starts lashing out in moments of intense anger. His parents sign him up for therapy, and as Benny begins being opening about his worries, he comes to terms with the new realities of his life. Dynamic, youthful-feeling pencil drawings by the protagonist—the sun is depicted as a quintessential semicircle on the edge of the page, and tree canopies are rendered using cloud-like shapes—permeate this slice-of-life narrative, allowing readers glimpses into how Benny views his circumstances. The characters' challenges are realistically handled, and painful moments are balanced with levying humor. Character skin tones reflect the white of the page. Ages 9–14.
