Almost a Hero - Hardcover

A class assignment has Ben, almost 13, spending his spring vacation at a day care center for homeless children near his home in Santa Barbara, Calif. After his first day there, Ben sees Batista, one of his young clients, in a local grocery store-being hurled, presumably by his stern mother, across the aisles. He reports the incident to the appropriate authorities, who begin to investigate. But when another youngster from the center is beaten and thrown to his death from a welfare hotel window, Ben and his friends decide to forego bureaucratic channels to save Batista from a similar fate, and they hatch a plot to kidnap the boy. Neufeld's (Lisa, Bright and Dark) novel, fairly bursting with good intentions, tends toward the pedantic in its discussion of societal ills and is almost completely driven by coincidence. At the same time that Ben works at the center, he is haunted by memories of his own, long-deceased younger brother, whose mysterious death was followed by the abrupt disappearance of their mother. Also joining the story is a quietly appealing classmate of Ben's who turns out to be homeless, too. The unlikely thicket of revelations unfortunately undermines the credibility of Neufeld's examinations of homelessness and abuse. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 6^-9. Twelve years may have passed since Neufeld has written for young adults, but he still knows his audience. Ben Derby is a 12-year-old whose teacher has assigned to him a week of charitable work during spring break. Ben works at a day care center for homeless children, one of whom Ben thinks he sees being abused in the grocery store, When "the system" is too cautious in its response, Ben and his friends plan a bold rescue of the child. Ben's experience opens his eyes to the complexities of homelessness, the fine line between helping and intruding, and even the unhealed grief within his own family. With a few exceptions, Neufeld's casual writing seems to flow straight from the heart of a 12-year-old. Right on target are Ben's wry observations of adults, his frustration and his youthful impetuosity. Dealing as well with family, friends, and a potential girlfriend, too, Ben is much more than a mouthpiece for social issues--he is a rich, three-dimensional character and worthy of the title, almost a hero. Julie Yates Walton