My Brother's Story

Gr 6–8—My Brother's Story is an adventure tale that immediately grabs readers' attention through suspense and a compelling plot. Orphaned twin brothers Johnny and Will were separated after the death of their parents. Growing up in two different environments, young Johnny bravely escapes an abusive aunt and he embarks on a mission to find his brother at any cost. He travels along the Blackwater swamp with the help of a new friend, Linc, and encounters danger and newfound freedom. In a parallel story, Will, supported by loving and affluent adoptive parents, is determined to find his brother and travels by train, plane, and automobile to do so. While both twins have the same dreams about the past and the future, their paths slowly come together as they fight to become brothers once and for all. Set in America's rural South during the 1930s, this novel depicts the brutal racial prejudice of the era through the use of language. Johnson guides readers through a journey of loss, discovery, and reunion. The ending is somewhat predictable, but the plot twists along the way will keep readers engaged.