Oh, Brother

Gr 4-8 Brothers Alex and Andrew are always at odds with each other. Alex, the younger and the more responsible of the two, has a paper route and a bicy cle. Andrew has a part time job for a while, but he spends most of his time at the playground with his friends. How ever, they become closer after Andrew is beaten up by a gang of boys and Alex' bicycle which he has borrowed is sto len. Eventually, Alex gets a new bicy cle and learns to stand up for himself while Andrew gains a greater sense of responsibility. In Wilson's first novel, most of the focus is on Alex and An drew. The characterization of the par ents is weak, and at times they fade into the background of the action. The con flicts between Alex and Andrew are common pre-adolescent ones. On the whole, this a warm, humorous story about sibling rivalry in a black family.