Trophy Kid

August 1, 2008
Gr 5-7-As a toddler, Joe went from being a Croatian war orphan to the adopted child of Hollywood A-listers. As a 13-year-old, he's convinced it was all a publicity stunt. When his parents decide it would be great PR for him to "write" his autobiography, ghostwriter Tom Dolan is hired. Joe, who feels as if he doesn't belong in this family, is determined to find out more about his birth parents, and Tom agrees to help him. A trip to Dubrovnik is planned, and Joe's father seizes it as an opportunity to kick off his campaign for senator by bringing the whole familyand a documentary filmmakeralong. Readers will most likely see before Joe does that his parents are guilty of nothing more than self-absorption, a flaw not limited to movie stars. But they will appreciate the widening of Joe's world as he makes friends with "ordinary people" connected to Tom and begins to see his parents through the eyes of others. Joe's belief that his birth father could still be alive adds some emotional heft, and the story's resolution makes for a satisfying ending."Laurie Slagenwhite, Baldwin Public Library, Birmingham, MI"

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