Little Klein

January 1, 2008
Gr 3-6-Set in a small mid-20th-century town, this novel follows the exploits of nine-year-old Harold Sylvester George Klein, known to everyone as "Little Klein" ("his body seemed to grow at the rate of a blade of grass in the shade"). Harold's father, a traveling salesman, is largely absent, leaving the child's mother overwhelmed with her four sons at home. Mrs. Klein has fretted over her youngest since he was a sickly, frail baby. Meanwhile, the "Bigs"his brothers Matthew, Mark, and Lukeare strapping, boisterous, and known for their antics. The somewhat episodic chapters follow the boys as they adopt a stray dog, attempt to build a doghouse, fight, fish, and generally cause a ruckus. Readers will appreciate the protagonist's growth from the beginning of the novel when he finds his family's coddling both irritating and reassuring to the end, when he insists on being called "Harold." A gentle read for fans of Eleanor Estes's "The Moffats" (Harcourt, 2001), John D. Fitzgerald's "The Great Brain" (Dial, 2000), and Jeanne Birdsall's "The Penderwicks" (Knopf, 2005)."Adrienne Furness, Webster Public Library, NY"

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