Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It by Sundee T. Frazier

Maybe they're afraid they'll look dumb, or maybe they don't think of things to ask. “The complexity of the characters and the strength of Brendan’s family sets the book apart, as does Brendan’s biracial identity.”- Booklist “Children will enjoy the ups and downs of Brendan’s sixth-grade year and wait eagerly for his future exploits.”- School Library Journal

appealing Brendan should keep readers fully engaged.'- Kirkus Reviews

The role of racism and family history is key in shaping these multifaceted characters. 'Middle schoolers and science projects make for enjoyable combustible fiction. The prickliness between Brendan and his father is handled with particular deftness.”- The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Recommended *Brendan is both nerdy and immensely likable. But their partnership clicks, and they embark on a methane-producing experiment involving bottles, balloons, and the freshest cow manure they can find.Īs Brendan spends more time on the experiment, he has a lot of big questions: Does his police detective dad really think he’s a science-nerd whimp? Will he and Khalfani, his best friend and Tae Kwon Do sparring partner, remain best friends? And can Brendan prove that his scientific pursuits really could be world-changing? When his alternative energy idea gets him paired with new girl Morgan Belcher for the national science competition, Brendan is skeptical. (Fiction.Read about Brendan, a biracial boy who loves science, and his middle school adventures in this sequel to the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award-winner Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in It.īrendan Buckley is headed to middle school on a whole new adventure. A good, accessible selection to inspire discussion of racism and prejudice. Brendan is an appealing character with a sense of honor, and if the ending is a bit pat, Brendan's curiosity and intelligence compensate. No stranger to racism, Brendan attempts to answer the question of why anyone would feel this way, as he simultaneously tries to find a way to bring his family together. When they find out, his parents reveal that it is Ed's bigotry concerning mixed-race couplesâ€”Brendan's mother is white and his father is blackâ€”that has resulted in his absence. Initially unsure, Brendan decides to get to know his grandfather in secret. They've never met before, and all Brendan knows is that his mother won't talk about why. Then he runs into his maternal grandfather, Ed, at a rock-and-mineral show.

Ten-year-old Brendan Buckley, future scientist, expects to have a busy summer, between practicing Tai Kwon Do, spending time with his parents and paternal grandmother and writing in the notebook he fills with all of his questions and their answers.

Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It by Sundee T. Frazier