Bookverdict.com

Gr 5–8—When 12-year-old Curtis's mother leaves him and his five-year-old brother, Artie, without warning, Curtis does everything he can to prevent Social Services from finding out. However, he soon discovers that he has an ally: a crotchety elderly neighbor who needs his help as well. Mrs. Burt takes the boys from their rundown apartment to a remote country cabin where Curtis lear...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Curtis and Artie's mom doesn't come home after work one day, but Curtis is sure she'll be back soon. Days and weeks go by with no word, but Curtis looks after his five-year-old brother, maintains hope, and keeps her absence a secret. Speaking up would land them in foster homes, and he knows from experience how awful those can be. When the old lady who lives across from their low-income apartment block asks Curtis for help with errands, he realizes that she's their ticket to surviving until Mom comes home, and a reciproc...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

When Curtis and Artie's mom disappears and weeks go by, Curtis keeps her absence a secret. They survive with the help of eld...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

An immediately involving story. When twelve-year-old Curtis begins his narration, it is clear that he and his younger brother are hungry and struggling to keep up appearances that things are normal. The boys’ mother’s backstory gives her absence more tension. Readers may not be “ten out of ten positive,” as Curtis is for a while, that their mother will return. Curtis’s character makes a lasting impression. His maturity and responsibility for his younger brother are admirable. And as they spend the summer at a remote la...Log In or Sign Up to Read More