My Cousin's Keeper

by Simon French

Overview

When the odd new kid at school turns out to be his cousin, Kieran feels embarrassed and resentful. But how far will he let the bullying go?

Eleven-year-old Kieran wants to be part of the “in” group at school. He wants to be on the soccer team. He wants to fit in. But then his weird cousin Bon turns up, both at school and at home. Bon knows nothing about fitting in, with his long blond braid, babyish hand-knit hat, and funny, precise voice. Bon doesn’t play sports, and he likes to draw imaginary maps with stories about “Bon the Crusader” and “Kieran the Brave.” He’s an easy target for teasing, and Kieran has little patience for him. Even more irritating, Bon’s only friend is the other new kid, a cool girl named Julia who wears cowboy boots and has a confidence that fascinates Kieran. What could she and Bon possibly have in common? With unflinching honesty, My Cousin’s Keeper takes on childhood jealousy, family secrets, and unexpected kindness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763666743
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/09/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	780L (what's this?)
File size:	918 KB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Simon French published his first novel while he was still in high school. He has since written several novels and picture books that have won a number of awards. An elementary-school teacher, Simon French lives in Australia.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2014
Gr 4–7—Eleven-year-old Kieran can't catch a break. He has just begun to make inroads with the popular crowd at school when his conspicuously odd cousin, Bon, moves into town. Having lived a vagabond life, Bon is a virtual stranger to Kieran, but his appearance speaks volumes: he has long, braided hair, talks in a clipped fashion, and dresses in clothes for a much younger child. Kieran wants nothing to do with him and is horrified when Bon enrolls in his school. To make matters worse, Bon has become best friends with the new girl, Julia, on whom Kieran has a mad crush. Burdened with a negligent and unreliable mother, Bon becomes more and more dependent on Kieran's family. The situation becomes volatile as the protagonist begins to feel torn between an ever-growing compassion for his cousin and his strong desire to be popular. French adeptly avoids being preachy when it comes to the topics of bullying and peer pressure. He paints a sympathetic portrait of both boys and lets readers draw their own conclusions. The mystery of Julia and her own familial troubles adds a level of intrigue, and while the ending feels a bit drawn out, this is a solid choice for middle-grade readers.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI

School Library Journal

06/23/2014
There’s a vaguely disturbing undercurrent in French’s (Where in the World) perceptive book about 11-year-old Kieran and his strange cousin, Bon, who briefly appears in his life when both boys are nine—just long enough to steal two of Kieran’s favorite toys. Two years later, to Kieran’s dismay, Bon’s peripatetic mother, who struggles with mental and emotional problems, settles him with Kieran’s family, and in his school. Bon’s appearance, demeanor, and unusual interests make him a target for bullying, and Kieran, striving to be popular, does nothing to dissuade the bullies, even uneasily participating in some of the activities. His efforts to distance himself from his cousin while winning favor with another newcomer, the mysterious and confident Julia, are believably depicted, as are Kieran’s parents’ attempts to cope with the difficult relationship between the boys. The story takes on a quiet emotional power as the boys slowly forge a connection, and although the nature of Bon’s mother’s instability is never made completely clear, Julia’s mystery is cleanly resolved in a way that places the novel firmly in contemporary times. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

French avoids moralizing as Kieran struggles over what kind of person he wants to be, portraying both boys with equal sensitivity and giving Kieran understandable motivations. A minor mystery involving Julia’s family situation is resolved nicely. This contemporary Australian import deals with peer pressure in a straightforward and sincere way, making it a good choice for middle-grade discussion.
—Booklist Online

This Australian import, set in a dying small town where soccer is king, stands out for its forthright depiction of dysfunctional families and its effective juxtaposition of them with a functional one. A thought-provoking tale of family struggles, schoolyard bullies, masculinity, reaching out and intolerance, jealousy and friendship just right for middle-grade book discussions.
—Kirkus Reviews

French adeptly avoids being preachy when it comes to the topics of bullying and peer pressure. He paints a sympathetic portrait of both boys and lets readers draw their own conclusions. The mystery of Julia and her own familial troubles adds a level of intrigue, and ... this is a solid choice for middle-grade readers.
—School Library Journal

[Kieran's] efforts to distance himself from his cousin while winning favor with another newcomer, the mysterious and confident Julia, are believably depicted, as are Kieran’s parents’ attempts to cope with the difficult relationship between the boys. The story takes on a quiet emotional power as the boys slowly forge a connection...
—Publishers Weekly

[A]s the protagonists grow into Bon’s roles for them, French’s novel becomes a story of kids who dare to imagine worlds and become who they need to be. ... [T]his humane and moving story of three children lost and found—a girl who leaves, a boy who remains, and another who finds the better part of himself—will win the hearts of readers.
—The Horn Book

This would be a good book to use for a class discussion on important topics like bullying and family dynamics.
—Library Media Connection

Australian author French gives Kieran’s narration vivid authenticity, making him understandable in his youthful complacency and desperate self-centeredness despite his unsympathetic behavior toward Bon. The book is particularly sharp in identifying the uneasiness kids (and adults) can feel in encountering somebody whose life hints at messiness and dysfunction that they’d rather not contemplate.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Moving... Tackling bullying’s complexity honestly as well as examining family dynamics, this book offers plenty of material for class discussion while reminding readers to embrace their better sides.
—Reading Today Online

From the Publisher

2014-06-30
Do you have to be your brother's keeper?When his weird, long-haired cousin Bon turns up in Kieran's hometown to stay with their grandmother and attend his school, it torpedoes the 11-year-old's hopes of becoming one of the popular crowd. The neglected son of a mentally ill mother, Bon, also 11, has spent plenty of time on his own. He escapes into drawing and writing an elaborate adventure in which "Bon the Crusader," "Kieran the Brave" and "Julia the Fair" (another new student, living temporarily with the mother who abducted her) vanquish the forces of evil. There are certainly forces of evil about: families that are by no means as loving and supportive as Kieran's and bullies in the schoolyard. For much of the story, narrator Kieran is not very likable. Caught up in resentment and in his efforts to find a place among the popular, bullying boys, he goes along with their actions. A cruel, unfair attack finally pushes him to do the right thing, becoming the "Kieran the Brave" Bon has imagined. This Australian import, set in a dying small town where soccer is king, stands out for its forthright depiction of dysfunctional families and its effective juxtaposition of them with a functional one. A thought-provoking tale of family struggles, schoolyard bullies, masculinity, reaching out and intolerance, jealousy and friendship just right for middle-grade book discussions. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews