I just finished reading this book today, and I really liked it. It pretty cool because there was some sort of grant that allowed everyone in my school district to get a free copy of this book. I might have never even heard about this book if it wasn't for that.
Surviving The Applewhites, by Stephanie S. Tolan, is what I would call a fun, light read. It all starts when a juvenile delinquent named Jake Semple, who was rumored to have burnt down the last school he went to, goes to stay at Wit's End, which is the name of a big house where lots of kids in the Applewhite family are homeschooled. There's Cornelia, a moody dancer, who at first sight Jake thinks is the most beautiful girl he's ever laid eyes on, there's the mysterious artist Hal who never comes out of his room, except when the rest of his family is sleeping, there's cute four-year-old blond-haired Destiny (He's a boy), who takes a liking to the rebellious Jake and follows him wherever he goes, and of course there are pets and a bunch of cool, eccentric grown-ups like the mom Sybil (An author), meditate-y Aunt Lucille, and Grandpa Zedideiah (I don't think I spelled that right!). But the main character, besides Jake, is a girl named E.D., who is the only organized, not-so-artistic person in the family. As the story unfolds, we also meet more colorful people (The great characters are definitely my favorite part!), and the dad directs an interesting version of The Sound of Music. It's totally worth reading to see how the show turns out! All in all, this is a fun, interesting read, even though it might be a little predictable in some parts, and I would rate it four and a half out of five stars. Thanks for reading!
~Rosalind (^ - ^)
