Second in Command

February 1, 2019

Gr 8 Up-Sixteen-year-old Leo and his siblings know what it's like to move so many times they're not sure where they're from originally. They know what it's like to live without a mother for months at a time. Luckily, in their town, there are many other military families. There's a support group for kids to go and talk about their concerns, or just hang out and meet others in similar circumstances. Leo loves the duties, responsibilities, and comradeship available through his Boy Scout membership. This interest in service has led him to apply to the Summer Youth Police Academy. His dream of gaining acceptance into the program is threatened when his younger brother, an angry and troubled adolescent, gets into trouble with the law. Left in charge after his mother is deployed, Leo fulfills his schoolwork while also taking on cooking, cleaning, and watching over his younger siblings. His joys, fears, and confusion are expressed in meditative verse-some entries as brief as one sentence. Teens overwhelmed by a parent called up for active duty will connect with this quick read that depicts young people confronting life without the benefit of a consistent parental presence. VERDICT This novel in verse is recommended for reluctant readers, especially in areas where there is a large military population.-Denise Kim, Bronx High School of Science, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
After his mother departs on a six-month tour of duty, 16-year-old Leo, his father, and his younger siblings, Jack and Reina, are left to cope.Leo is on his way becoming an Eagle Scout, he wants to join the Summer Youth Police Academy, and he is committed to embodying the principles of the Scout Oath. His workaholic father, who is hardly ever home, sees him as the reliable one and gives Leo too much responsibility for the care of his siblings. Leo has always vowed to have Jack's back, but when the 13-year-old starts acting out and gets in serious trouble, Leo finds it hard to hold up his end of the bargain. He becomes close to Zen, a girl who belongs to their support group for families of deployed military personnel, but that relationship is later put at risk. Leo must figure out how to help his brother while also pursuing his own dreams. In her heartfelt debut novel that explores the challenges facing military families left at home, Van effectively utilizes verse to impeccably convey the feelings of sadness, anger, displacement, and lack of belonging of young people on the brink of adulthood. Leo's father is a Cuban immigrant, and Zen is Korean-American; other characters are assumed white.Reluctant readers will enjoy exploring Leo's loyalty to his family and ideals, strong threads woven through the fabric of this emotional story. (Verse novel. 12-18)

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