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Synopsis
As thirteen-year-old Jerry enters junior high school, he continues to adjust to the fact that his father is in prison for theft
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From Kirkus Reviews
Next-door neighbors Jerry (son of a convict) and Grace (daughter of a preacher) have learned to look out for each other (Five Finger Discount, 1989; Monkey See, Monkey Do, 1990). Now facing seventh grade, neither knows what to expect; Jerry worries that the other students will find out about his father, while Grace's tattletale impulses put a damper on budding friendships and have made the nickname ``Holy Grace'' all but inevitable. Ms. Castle, an English teacher with a background in drama, befriends Jerry and helps him put his painful past into perspective, advising him to draw on his experiences to develop his acting skills. Jerry gets work in a commercial (after just one audition) and begins to rebuild his relationship with his father. Meanwhile, Grace demonstrates formidable good spirits in time to enjoy the school dance and leave her nickname behind. Jerry's such a nice, normal boy that it's easy to dismiss a lot of his angst, especially since so many pivotal encounters between him and his family are either hurriedly related asides or occur offstage. Still, the steps he takes toward growth are convincingly paced and well played; with or without acting, it looks like he'll will do just fine. (Fiction. 10+) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-- Jerry Johnson, Jr., the narrator and hero of Five Finger Discount (1989) and Monkey See, Monkey Do (1990, both Delacorte) has entered junior high school. His mother has married a dull but steady man named Willard and his father is still serving a prison term. Through the help of an enthusiastic English teacher, Jerry recovers from the embarrassment of his father's criminal background. It's his long-time friend, Grace, who has the harder time adjusting to junior high. Her frumpy clothes and inability to stand up for herself make her an easy target for ridicule. By the novel's end, however, Grace has regained some of her old spirit, and Jerry is the school celebrity--thanks to an acting part in a locally produced commercial. Again, DeClements has created wholly believable and sympathetic characters. She always gets the details of school life right; and she handles the first-person narration well, making Jerry immensely likable. A few of the plot lines (such as a stolen car at the beginning of the novel) get lost, but this is forgivable in a novel in which character rather than plot takes precedence. --Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Breaking Out
Seller: ThriftBooks-Dallas, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Very Good. No Jacket. May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less. Seller Inventory # G0440408024I4N00