Description:
Siebold gives an 11-year-old boy the chance to gain a better understanding of himself and his family through effective use of a well-worn devicea class assignment. To fulfill a school requirement, Richard, 11, redefines well-known proverbs, then uses them as a framework to talk about the fears and feelings unleashed by his parents' recent divorce and his move to a new neighborhood. Filled with realistic dialogue and subtle humor, each short chapter offers a simple yet thought-provoking story about a different aspect of Richard's life. He writes about being the ``new kid'' in an unfamiliar school, becoming best friends with James, overcoming his fear of climbing the rope in gym class, feeling guilty about ``secret weekends'' with his father, and attending a funeral service for the first time. From the first sentence (``I hate writing'') to the last, the tone of the book is engaging and true to life; Richard not only gains understanding, but discovers his own voice as well. (Fiction. 9-12) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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