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School Library Journal
Reviewed on November 1, 2006
Gr 4-8 Jakes father has lost his job and savings in the economic panic of 1837. The family leaves its comfortable Boston surroundings and takes up residence in a dingy farmhouse in Wiscasset, ME, where the 12-year-old finds himself responsible for the household. With his father working as a lumberman and his mother caring for his younger brother, who has cerebral palsy, Jake carries the additional burden of keeping his siblings existence a secret. He soon learns to trust his instincts and finds help and support fro...Log In or Sign Up to Read More
Horn Book Magazine
Reviewed on November 1, 2006
When Jake's banker father suffers a reversal of fortune in the Panic of 1837, the family must move from its fine Boston home to a rough hovel in Wiscasset, Maine. Complicating the already difficult situation is Jake's disabled little brother Frankie, unable to walk or talk and prone to fits; his existence must be kept secret lest the family be made pariahs. As Jake's father's new job...Log In or Sign Up to Read More