Steering Toward Normal

Despite his bucolic surroundings, eighth-grade 4-H member Diggy Lawson is anything but tranquil. First, there's the pressure to please his crush July Johnston, a high school senior and champion cattlewoman, by winning a grand prize at the Minnesota State Fair. Then Diggy's classmate Wayne shows up at the doorstep and turns out to be Diggy's stepbrother. After Wayne moves in with Diggy and his single father, the boys compete to see who can raise the better steer while vying for their father's affection. Diggy is jealous of July's attention to Wayne and wonders if his stepbrother will stand in his way of winning a ribbon at the fair. And why is Wayne so anxious to locate Diggy's mother, who "left town on a tractor" when Diggy was a baby? First-time author Petruck's account of country life is never dull as she depicts the strong work ethic of cattlemen and women, along with the universal conflicts between siblings. If Diggy's father takes the discovery of a second son a little too well, he remains a stable force effectively contrasting his temperamental sons. Ages 9-13. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, kt literary. (May)

Gr 6-8--A rural small town in Minnesota creates a backdrop for a realistic story focused on relationships and emotions. Diggy Lawson finds out that he has a half brother when his classmate Wayne is dropped off at his house following the death of Wayne's mother and he learns that they share a father. Amidst anger, confusion, grief, competiveness, and even some amusing pranks, Diggy and Wayne both end up raising steers with support from 4-H to enter into the fair. Diggy's anger and confusion seem quite typical for an eighth grader, but his vacillating struggle with these feelings doesn't seem to follow a recognizable path toward growth and reconciliation. The effect is that readers are swept up in Diggy's confusion rather than identifying with it from the role of a sympathetic spectator. Additionally, the plot arc seems flat, as Diggy's emotions seem to reset every couple months. Readers unfamiliar with the routines and sensations of caring for livestock may have difficulty becoming engaged in the overall narrative.While this book fits in a mostly empty niche market for stories about 4-H, it may not be worth purchasing for other communities.--Erin Reilly-Sanders, Ohio State University, Columbus