Half Brother

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Since I have been working as a children’s librarian, there have been two new authors who have impressed (even) me. Kenneth Oppel is one. (Shannon Hale is the other.) They are both close to my age which you can translate into up-and-coming as opposed to established. And they are incredibly gifted in language.

Oppel is known for two series. One started with Silverwing and the other, Airborn. The former is about bats. Wow. Seriously. The latter is steampunk-alternate-universe-air-pirates-as-opposed-to-sea-pirates. His first picture book, The King’s Taster, earned applause in my home as a bedtime story.

I was utterly startled to find Half Brother. Why I was startled is beyond me. I try not to keep track of what is coming. I like to be surprised. I suppose I would have been prepared to see another bat book. They really are that good – especially the prehistoric prequel. I would have been delighted to see another space pirate novel. I was left gaping when I started Half Brother and realized that it was set in the early 1970s!!!!!

I’ll go back right now and recommend the bat books to kids as young as ten and perhaps even voracious younger readers. They’re a hit with the boys. The Airborn series is more complex and the characters are bordering on young adulthood and I would definitely say they are a crossover between junior high and high school. They also attract both genders. Half Brother is the same.

Ben is thirteen and the son of scientists. While he and his father travel cross-country, Canada, to move into their new house located close to his father’s new university where he will embark upon his new research project, Ben’s mother travels to the United States to pick up Ben’s new baby brother. And new research subject. A chimpanzee.

Ben’s father wants to prove that mankind’s closest relative can learn language. He also wants to establish his career and reputation as a preeminent scientist. Ben’s mother needs to complete her thesis for her doctorate and is fully onboard with her husband’s research project. Ben wants to stay in Toronto, but since that is a long-gone wish, he is happy to establish himself as a “dominant male” in his new school as opposed to the geeky loner he has been.

The research project requires that the chimpanzee, named Zan, be brought up in their household as a member of their family. Ben is unhappy, perhaps jealous at first. Zan gets ALL of the attention. But quickly, Ben becomes emotionally attached to his new and unusual brother. And Zan favors him too. Together, Zan makes most of his amazing leaps and bounds in American Sign Language.

Unfortunately, chimpanzees do grow bigger and become stronger than human men. A playful bite can seriously injure a human handler. It doesn’t help that groups for the ethical treatment of animals take an interest in Zan’s welfare and unusual upbringing. In addition, the research project is determined to be flawed to begin with and is not receiving the big grant money Ben’s father and his university had hoped for. None of this matter’s to Ben – Zan is his brother.

To what lengths will Ben go to protect his brother AND keep the family together?

And excellent book to suggest to kids returning from the new Planet of the Apes movie!