The Book of Samuel

The Book of Samuel
by Erik Raschke

THE BOOK OF SAMUEL by

Category:

Contemporary

Age Recommendation:

Grades 9+

Release Date: 10/13/09

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Reviewed by:

Rating:

4 Stars

Samuel Gerard and his friends Jonathon and Jesse are out to get the Mexicans. According to the three friends, the

Mexicans have stolen their bikes for the last time. It's time for revenge.

At least that's what used to occupy Samuel's thoughts. Now things are looking a bit different. When your father

quits his teaching job and starts living in a tent in the backyard and reading nothing but the Bible, things don't look

quite the way they used to. Samuel's father is having what might be termed a "mid-life crisis." He has turned to the

word of God to explain and justify his every move.

Samuel tries to stay connected with his father by spending time in the tent and listening to him read from the Bible,

but eventually he realizes the man has to deal with this crisis on his own. It's not long until his father packs up and

takes off, leaving Samuel alone with his hard-working mother.

Samuel and his two friends are often the victims of taunting from the kids at school. They are fairly good students

but not particularly athletic or popular, which makes them targets for the bullies. Samuel, in particular, with his

discount store clothing and his strange vegetarian lunches, makes him an easy

target

for teasing. One especially

scary tormentor is Saula, an odd and incredibly strong girl with an unexplained hatred for Samuel.

To make matters worse, Samuel's mother offers to have his cousin, David, come to live with them. Unfortunate

family circumstances have made David a hot-tempered and volatile individual. Now Samuel has a bully to deal

with right under his own roof.

THE BOOK OF SAMUEL follows a 12-year-old boy through the turmoil of family problems and the often too

typical pressures of being different. There are moments of humor, moments of frustration, moments of sadness,

and even moments of horror as Samuel negotiates his way through life.

The book is at times a challenging read, but readers will find meaning and satisfaction as they get to know and

understand this determined young man.