First Boy

Cooper Jewett is 14 when his beloved grandfather dies, leaving him with a dairy farm to look after. Bizarre things happen--big men in black sedans follow him, the farmhouse is ransacked, the barn is set afire, and he even meets the president, who may be his long-lost mother. While Jesse Berns reads with gusto, he has a strange idea of a rural New Hampshire accent. Cooper's elderly allies, Mrs. Perley ("gracious goodness") and Mr. Searle, are lovely old-fashioned characters voiced with humor, dignity, and pretend crotchetiness. All Berns's characters are distinctive and fun. What a pity he can't laugh--amusement and menace sound exactly the same. A.B. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine

January 16, 2006
Political intrigue meets small-town New Hampshire in this story of identity, perseverance and love. Cooper Jewett works hard on the dairy farm where he lives with his grandfather. But it's the only life he knows and a life he loves. When his beloved grandfather dies, leaving him alone, Cooper intends to keep the farm running, remembering his grandfather's phrase of fondness for him, "You're my first boy, Cooper, my first boy." But keeping up with school, milking, chores and cross country practice is running Cooper ragged. And when a local senator comes campaigning through town, along with the U.S. President, a mystery begins to unfold, and it turns out that "first boy" may have more than one meaning. Burns has a youthful-sounding voice and an enthusiastic approach, but he takes a while to get the pacing of his performance right, ultimately overcoming a slow, halting read and easing into a rhythm with dialogue. Schmidt's tale has its share of contrivances and quirky characters, but the compelling premise and Cooper's genuine dedication to farming—and to the people who love him—will help listeners stick around. Ages 12-up.

February 1, 2006
Gr 6 Up -This fast-paced and suspenseful story by Newbery and Printz Award winner Gary Schmidt (Holt, 2005), set on a New Hampshire dairy farm, creates both a bucolic rural existence and scenes of political greed and ambition. Fourteen-year-old Cooper Jewett has been raised by grandparents, but there has always been some mystery surrounding his family circumstances. Chores that he loves keep Cooper busy and content after his grandmother and grandfather pass away within a short time of each other. Jesse Berns narrates Cooper -s first person account of how life threatens to change for him once a big-shot presidential candidate takes an interest in him. From the outset, Berns - reading reflects Cooper -s unease, and that is well borne out as more politicians, political operatives, news people, and local law enforcement all seem desperate to get Cooper away from his beloved farm. Berns - narration makes Cooper seem a bit too sophisticated for such an unworldly teenager, but he does bring a lively though subtle characterization to the feuding but good-natured elderly neighbors who try to help Cooper. Theft, fires, kidnappings, car chases -all the hallmarks of intrigue -keep the action going at a fast pace as the mystery is solved and Cooper finds a way to keep life on an even keel. In its improbable adventures of a teenage boy, the novel is reminiscent of Anthony Horowitz -s Alex Ryder stories and will find a delighted audience of young listeners who like adventure as well as happy endings brought about by hard work and good intentions. -"Jane P. Fenn, Corning-Painted Post West High School, NY"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.