The Big Nothing

by Adrian Fogelin

Overview

When everyone that Justin depends on lets him down, he begins discovering himself with the help of a new friend and some newly found talents.

Alone. That's how thirteen-year-old Justin feels these days. His older brother Duane has left home, enlisting in the Army, and his father has walked out, maybe for good this time. His mom is too depressed to get out of bed. And if that's not enough, his best buddy Ben has a new girlfriend and no longer has time to hang out. There's not much left for Justin to do but to put his brain in neutral and slide into the state he calls "the Big Nothing."

But slowly Justin discovers he has more resources than he thinks. With the help of his classmate Jemmie and her grandmother, Nana Grace, he learns that underneath all the noisy confusion in his brain lies a talent for music. As he spends time with Jemmie, he begins to understand how simple notes make complex music, and how simple feelings can turn into deep emotions.

Award-winning author Adrian Fogelin once again offers readers an emotionally charged story featuring a sympathetic adolescent trying to make sense of the people and world around him.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781561453887
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	10/03/2006
Series:	Neighborhood Novels , #4
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	128,435
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	620L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Adrian Fogelin earned a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and worked as a librarian and as an illustrator for the Baltimore Zoo. The author of several novels for middle readers and young adults, Adrian makes regular appearances in schools and libraries and teaches creative writing. Her special interests include managing family land for wildlife conservation, running a food bank and library for her neighborhood, and singing in a duo called Hot Tamale. She lives in Florida.

Editorial Reviews

★ "Fogelin plots a thoroughly engaging story of teen angst, multicultural and political divisions, and a natural desire of neighbors to come to one another's aid. The characters may be doves, hawks, or melanges in between, but they are sincere in their beliefs and yet can find room in their hearts to pull together for Duane. Serious and humorous by turns, this seemingly simple story is actually quite complex but not weighty and will be enthusiastically embraced."—School Library Journal, Starred Review

"The impending war in Iraq gives this story a definite place in time, and its distinct characters make it satisfying and surprisingly realistic. Misfit finds fit."—Kirkus Reviews

"Fogelin's character-driven narrative. . . speaks of the painful transitions of adolescence with rare humor and honesty."—Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 7-9-Pudgy, quiet Justin Riggs, 13, has a lot to say, at least internally. His father leaves home; his mother is so shattered by arguments, put-downs, and suspicion that she withdraws to bed; and his older brother, Duane, has enlisted and is sent to Iraq. His best friend has a girlfriend, leaving little time for him, and he feels abandoned. His coping mechanism is to withdraw into a state that Justin thinks of as "The Big Nothing." However, popular Jemmie just won't let him sit in silence, and the more she interacts with him, the more interested in her he becomes. When her warm and worldly-wise grandmother discovers his talent for playing the piano, he finds a more productive escape. However, the bills keep piling up at home, he may be failing English, and he worries about his brother. Continuing her exploration of a Tallahassee neighborhood and its middle schoolers first introduced in Crossing Jordan (Peachtree, 2000), Fogelin plots a thoroughly engaging story of teen angst, multicultural and political divisions, and a natural desire of neighbors to come to one another's aid. The characters may be doves, hawks, or m langes in between, but they are sincere in their beliefs and yet can find room in their hearts to pull together for Duane. Serious and humorous by turns, this seemingly simple story is actually quite complex but not weighty and will be enthusiastically embraced.-Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Big brother Duane is off in boot camp, and Justin is left trying to hold the parental units together. Fat, acne-ridden, and missing his best friend Ben, who's in the throes of his first boy-girl relationship with Cass, Justin's world is dreary. It gets worse when he realizes that all of his mother's suspicions about his father are probably true, and that Dad may not return from his latest business trip. Surprisingly ultra-cool Jemmie, who is also missing her best friend, Cass, actually recognizes his existence and her grandmother invites Justin to use their piano in the afternoons when Jemmie's at cross-country practice. The "big nothing" place, where Justin retreats in time of trouble, is a rhythmic world and soon begins to include melody and provide Justin with a place to express himself. Practice and discipline accompany this gradual exploration of his talent. The impending war in Iraq gives this story a definite place in time, and its distinct characters make it satisfying and surprisingly realistic. Misfit finds fit. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews