Horse Camp

April 1, 2012
Twelve-year-old twins Penny and Percy and adopted brother Pauly are spending the summer on their Uncle Stretch's farm while their parents try to straighten out their messed-up lives. Their parents imaginatively refer to this summer vacation as "Horse Camp," but the horses are mean and the farm is much dirtier than any camp. Sanctimonious Penny, who relates her story through letters and a diary, hasn't fallen far from her father's tree--he's a money-focused missionary Bible thumper with a heart that's definitely not made of gold. Percy is less judgmental but viciously bullies preschooler Pauly and whines unpleasantly about any work he's forced to do; he relates his side in alternating first person chapters. Both of them are trying to come to grips with their mother's impending incarceration for illegally distributing medications to poor people in an attempt to alleviate their misery. Although both preteens are annoyingly obnoxious, the good will that surrounds them--in the form of earthy Stretch, his loving if sometimes unsophisticated girlfriend Sheryl and her cheerful, forgiving daughter June Bug--gradually alters their attitudes and results in a believable dual coming-of-age tale. While Penny and Percy are easy to dislike, it's nonetheless oddly amusing to watch their evolution into more decent people, especially since readers have the fun of viewing the change from the pair's richly biased viewpoints. (Fiction. 10-15)

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June 1, 2012

Gr 5-7-Percy and Penny Pribyl, 12-year-old twins, are having a rough summer. Their mother has been arrested for distributing prescription drugs to the poor without a license, and their father is too preoccupied with growing his Christian ministry to care for the children. Along with their adopted younger brother, Pauly, the twins are sent to live on Uncle Stretch's farm in rural Minnesota. Even though their mother said the farm is a fun-filled place with "bunches" of horses to ride, Penny and Percy find that the farm has lots of chickens and pigs, but only two horses: one old, one with a nasty temper. While Pauly charms his way into their uncle's heart, the twins struggle with farm life and the realization that their parents aren't coming back soon. Percy's and Penny's experiences are described in hilarious, first-person narratives that perfectly capture adolescent angst and emotional hyperbole. Penny's story is told through letters and a diary in which she comes off as a sanctimonious hypocrite. Percy is no better. He constantly complains and treats his siblings poorly. His troubling exchanges with Pauly are peppered with racist undertones ("At least I'm an American citizen!"). Unlikable at first, the siblings gradually redeem themselves through their interactions with Stretch; his kind girlfriend; and her chirpy daughter. In the end, Uncle Stretch's "horse camp" heals the twins by defining the true meaning of "home" and what it is to be part of a whole family again.-Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2012
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Twelve-year-old twins Percy and Penny recount the events and feelings they experience during the summer they are sent to stay with their uncle Stretch. Accustomed to living in a variety of poor countries with their missionary father and appalled by their nurse mother's arrest and subsequent imprisonment for dispensing drugs, the children find farm lifeand Stretch's demands that they participate in itat first cause for complaint before they slowly become aware of the support and security it provides. The story is told in mostly alternating chapters, and Percy's voice is the pitch-perfect tone of a self-centered prepubescent boy who is quick to show off his athletic prowess, fascinated by the not-quite-nude poster of a beautiful young woman in his deceased cousin's bedroom, and eager to find friendship with a somewhat older boy he meets at the county fair. Penny, on the other hand, pours out her side of the story through diary entries and letters to each of her parents and to an African child whom she has financially adopted. Penny's voice, like Percy's, rings true: she's conceited, judgmental, and short on insight at first. But she grows to understand that her parents are neither perfect nor idiots, and that there's more to Uncle Stretch than his gruff exterior. Fine writing, beautifully wrought scenes, and genuine character development make this a great read for the twins' peers. As insightful, humorous, and provocative as a Jack Gantos or Gordon Korman book, it is sure to be a long-term keeper.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)