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Gr 4-6 Archie's life has become more difficult since he and his six-year-old brother, Oggie, have been switching between his parents' apartments. They call it going from Saturn to Jupiter, because their homes are so different that they might as well be on separate planets. The possibility of a new baby at Dad's disturbs the boys, as do their Mom's struggles to work and care for them. In addition, the neighborhood between the two homes is scary: a gang called the Night Riders threatens the boys' safety. Arc...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

"Our family was such a mess." Life changed for eleven-year-old Archie and his six-year-old brother Oggie when Dad moved out the house and into the arms of Cyndi, who now appears to be pregnant (though no one's mentioned it). To save money, Mom and the boys have relocated to a neighborhood full of boarded-up houses and burned-out streetlights. This dangerous, partially abandoned setting serves as a masterful metaphor for the lives of the two brothers, who try to avoid the Night Riders street gang as they shuttle between "two places that weren't our homes and never would be." Narrator Archie releases his anger in the novel he is writing, The Myste...Log In or Sign Up to Read More