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CM . . .
. Volume IX Number 8. . . . December 13, 2002
excerpt: Purple condoms. My brother got purple condoms in his Christmas stocking. Mom must think things are heating up between Chris and Becca. Not likely. I got a diary. "She gave me one when I was fourteen, too," said Chris. "I used it for about a week. Then I forgot about it." Mom made a face at him. "Well, don't forget to use the condoms, okay?" One More Step is one of a series of novels published by Orca, intended to attract teenagers to reading. Set in a large font, its 96 pages are divided into 13 short chapters. The edgy, confrontational protagonist, 14-year-old Julian, and his older brother, Chris, struggle to accept Jean Paul, their mother's latest but most serious boyfriend. Both boys deride their father and protect their mother. Then the family reels from the shock of their beloved grandfather's death. In the last chapter Julian adds a bit more to his diary that covers the year and a half after the funeral and shows how much he has settled and matured. Now he looks forward to a camping trip with his father and his family, compassionately spends time with his grandmother, and accepts Jean Paul's fatherly discipline. This short novel addresses the contemporary teen scene. The brothers are typical teenage boys, and their language reflects this fact. The novel focuses on their relationship and activities with their mother, Jean Paul, their father and their grandparents. Julian's feelings, which he expresses in a very flippant, sarcastic way, dominate the novel. The novel is too short to develop detailed characterization. Nevertheless, Fitch is careful to show character through action and dialogue. The setting is clearly Canadian and, though not a major focus, does reflect Julian's feelings. Julian's situation in life is all too common today. Teenage boys who are still at a very early stage as readers will be attracted to his brash, angry voice, his fierce protection of his mother and his ultimate success. Most good readers could read this book in less than an hour. Struggling male readers will welcome its length and its focus on emotions and relationships. Like the books in the former "Series 2000," One More Step will create success for a clientele that needs it most. Recommended. Joan Marshall is the teacher-librarian at Fort Richmond Collegiate in Winnipeg, MB.
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