My So-Called Family - Softcover

Sheinmel, Courtney

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1416979425 ISBN 13: 9781416979425

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009

Synopsis

Leah's mother underwent in-vitro fertilization from a donor bank to have Leah. Later, she married and had a child with her husband and as much as Leah loves her new family, she can't help but wonder about her real father. Who is he? Did he father other children through in-vitro? So against her mother's wishes, Leah decides to try and track down her donor father and half-siblings. This puts a very timely spin on the classic adoptive sibling story.

About this title

About the Author:

Courtney Sheinmel is the author of All the Things You Are, Sincerely, Positively, and My So-Called Family. She graduated with honors from Barnard College, part of Columbia University, and attended Fordham University School of Law. Courtney lives, works, and writes in New York City. Visit her at www.courtneysheinmel.com.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5–8—Thirteen-year-old Leah loves her family, which includes her mother, stepfather, and five-year-old half brother, Charlie, but she is curious about her biological father, an anonymous sperm donor. She's also embarrassed by the whole idea and refuses to tell her friends. Without her parents' knowledge, she goes to the sperm bank's Web site and makes contact with a girl her age who was fathered by the same donor. From Samantha she learns that she also has three half brothers. Leah's family has recently moved to the New York City area, where she tells everyone that her father is in Europe, and a new friend encourages her to stop obsessing about the opinions of others. The book raises interesting questions about what constitutes a family. While Leah's character rings true, her new best friend, Charlie, and the nine-year-old half brothers she meets at the end occasionally talk and act out of character for their ages. Still, this is a solid story, providing a fresh take on an issue that's rarely addressed.—Natasha Forrester, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
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About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1416979425
• ISBN 13: 9781416979425
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208