The Brothers Series
Brothers is a hi-lo middle-grade quartet about two brothers who are separated into different foster homes.
About the Brothers Series from the School Library Journal Gr 5-8
Brothers Isaac and Victor get taken from their family after their mother commits a crime in this realistic look at life in the foster care system. The story is told through emails exchanged between the siblings, who are in different foster homes, as they grapple with being apart. While Isaac is placed with a loving foster family, he encounters bullying and social difficulties in a new situation. Victor cycles through several homes as he gets involved with ill-conceived schemes that get him in trouble. The engaging page layouts feature doodle-style drawings, representing images the two brothers are sending to each other in their emails, and the book covers are eye-catching. The series presents a realistic yet accessible look at a family encountering stressful circumstances. VERDICT Written at a second and third-grade reading level, "Brothers" is an unflinching exploration of a family navigating foster care.
Debut author Bermudez kicks off a new series focusing on the relationship between two brothers separated by the foster-care system. Isaac still remembers how the arroz con leche splattered everywhere the day the police came for him and his siblings, the broken bowl and scattered rice a resonant metaphor for how his family had fallen apart. Older brother Victor tells Isaac not to worry about the rice; as the oldest, Victor is the stiff upper lip for the family, determined to keep it together despite the siblings' physical separation. Isaac and Victor manage to stay in touch via email, sharing their thoughts and struggles with new foster parents, school bullies, and mysterious neighbors. Through it all they hold out hope for mending their family and all finding their way back to one another. The story is sincere and heartfelt; though brief, it packs an emotional punch and does so without sacrificing character and plot. The brevity makes it an appealing option for reluctant and low literacy readers who still want a sustained story. A bit of an abrupt ending will have readers eager to see if the boys' wishes are ultimately fulfilled. Isaac and Victor are both of Mexican descent. The book's design may have readers confused, with a cover that looks like a YA thriller and (uncredited) interior illustrations that look distinctly childlike. A necessary narrative with an ambiguous design. (Fiction. 7-12)
Taken Away Victor, Isaac, Vanessa, and Sara have been taken away from their mother. They've been forced to leave behind their home, school, friends, and worst of all, each other. Vanessa and Sara have been placed in the same foster home, but Victor and Isaac have been separated from their younger siblings and each other. As Victor and Isaac grapple with the many challenges of their new lives, they try to keep in touch through email. Will their messages be enough to get them through the hard times and keep them together?
This Place is Not My Home Victor and Isaac aren't sure how long they'll make it in their foster homes. Isaac is comfortable around his foster parents, but afraid they'll give him up. Victor has just landed in a new, crowded home with lots of rules, and is accused of stealing. The brothers make a secret plan to run away from their foster parents and make a home of their own. Will their plan work, or will they lose everything trying?
Not Home for the Holidays Christmas is coming. Victor and Isaac want to spend the holidays together. But they're stuck in their new foster homes and their mom is stuck in jail. Victor and Isaac struggle to adjust to the unfamiliar customs of their foster families. They worry that their own traditions will be lost. Does accepting their present lives mean they've rejected their past?
Just Maybe Victor and Isaac are nervous. There's a chance that their mother will be released from prison. What might this mean for their family? The brothers and their sisters could return to each other, but at what cost? Although their mother says she's turned over a new leaf, the boys aren't certain they can trust her to keep their family together.
