The Case Against My Brother
by Libby Sternberg
by Libby Sternberg
THE CASE AGAINST MY BROTHER by Libby Sternberg
Category: Mystery/Thriller
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 11/7/07
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Reviewed by: Grandma Bev
Rating: 5 Stars
THE CASE AGAINST MY BROTHER is a very well-written mystery with wonderful characters and a suspenseful plot
featuring a backdrop of intolerance and bigotry in a little known dark corner of American history.
Fifteen-year-old Carl Matuski and his older brother, Adam, live in Portland, Oregon with an uncle since their mother
passed away from lung disease. The boys are Polish Catholics and Portland is in the midst of the anti-immigrant campaign
for the 1922 Oregon School Law, which sought to make Catholic schools in the state illegal. Now Adam has been
accused of stealing jewelry from the wealthy family of his girlfriend, and Carl knows that his brother is innocent. He insists
that Adam hide out until he can clear him of the charges.
The neighborhood police officer is very anti-Catholic and harbors prejudice against Polish immigrants, as well. He seems
to be on the street nearly every time Carl ventures out, and corners him to ask questions concerning the whereabouts of
Adam. Carl is frustrated by Adam's failure to hide out, and the fact that he always seems to want more money. Carl
attends school and is working two part-time jobs to earn money to help Adam and to try to help out at home, too. The
boys' uncle is a poor man who tries his best to do right by these nephews that he has inherited, but times are hard, and the
current political situation makes life even more difficult. Somehow, Adam has changed, and Carl isn't sure what to do
about that. He begins working extra hard to solve the mystery of the jewel robbery.
Carl makes friends with a newspaper reporter, and chases down clues about the robbery for the reporter to write about.
He just wants to clear his brother's name so that they can both go back to Baltimore, but when Carl ends up in the wrong
place at the wrong time and witnesses a murder, the action and the suspense shift into high gear, and the suspense builds to
an exciting, unexpected conclusion.
Libby Sternberg is a master at characterization and plotting and this story will keep you reading straight through to the end.
I would love to see more stories about Carl Matuski...what an exciting new character!
Category: Mystery/Thriller
Age Recommendation: Grades 6+
Release Date: 11/7/07
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Reviewed by: Grandma Bev
Rating: 5 Stars
THE CASE AGAINST MY BROTHER is a very well-written mystery with wonderful characters and a suspenseful plot
featuring a backdrop of intolerance and bigotry in a little known dark corner of American history.
Fifteen-year-old Carl Matuski and his older brother, Adam, live in Portland, Oregon with an uncle since their mother
passed away from lung disease. The boys are Polish Catholics and Portland is in the midst of the anti-immigrant campaign
for the 1922 Oregon School Law, which sought to make Catholic schools in the state illegal. Now Adam has been
accused of stealing jewelry from the wealthy family of his girlfriend, and Carl knows that his brother is innocent. He insists
that Adam hide out until he can clear him of the charges.
The neighborhood police officer is very anti-Catholic and harbors prejudice against Polish immigrants, as well. He seems
to be on the street nearly every time Carl ventures out, and corners him to ask questions concerning the whereabouts of
Adam. Carl is frustrated by Adam's failure to hide out, and the fact that he always seems to want more money. Carl
attends school and is working two part-time jobs to earn money to help Adam and to try to help out at home, too. The
boys' uncle is a poor man who tries his best to do right by these nephews that he has inherited, but times are hard, and the
current political situation makes life even more difficult. Somehow, Adam has changed, and Carl isn't sure what to do
about that. He begins working extra hard to solve the mystery of the jewel robbery.
Carl makes friends with a newspaper reporter, and chases down clues about the robbery for the reporter to write about.
He just wants to clear his brother's name so that they can both go back to Baltimore, but when Carl ends up in the wrong
place at the wrong time and witnesses a murder, the action and the suspense shift into high gear, and the suspense builds to
an exciting, unexpected conclusion.
Libby Sternberg is a master at characterization and plotting and this story will keep you reading straight through to the end.
I would love to see more stories about Carl Matuski...what an exciting new character!