A new baby! Timothy and his mom and dad are waiting for the member of their family and on the night Levi is born, Timothy and his father go out to celebrate. His father is so proud that he has two boys now! But within hours they know that Levi has been born with a breathing problem. He may not survive. It's only a short time before Timothy and Levi's dad disappears from their house and their lives.
Now it's up to Timothy and Mom. Timothy is just twelve years old and he watches as his mother struggles to make enough money to pay for rent, electricity and barely for food because of the huge medical bills they have piling up. That explains why when Timothy saw the credit card, he grabbed it and ran to the pharmacy and got the pharmacist to ring up the medicine Levi needed to the tune of $1400.00 plus.
It was a day and a half before the police tracked Timothy down. His desperate dream of helping his mother and his brother was shattered and now he has been placed under house arrest and put under the supervision of a probation officer and a psychologist. Tim has to write a journal to show the judge that he feels remorse and that he is changing for the better.
Written in free verse that flies this is Tim's story. If you saw him in the hallways at school, you probably wouldn't guess the pain and the courage that lie just under his skin disguised by the walk and talk of a middle schooler. Day by day Tim writes and his attitude shouts from the pages.
So, what would you do if your baby brother was close to death? How would you feel if you could hear the choking in Levi's throat and the sound of his breathing machine working to suction out whatever was caught in there time and time again?
Tim has glimpses of normal middle school life when he visits his friend Jose and gets to spend time with Jose and occasionally a few special minutes with Jose's sister.
This is a brilliant story of compassion and a reminder to look for the story others hold under their skin..some of us have a tougher road than others perhaps...and we all deserve a chance to be accepted for who we are, what we are fighting and to be honored for the courage and strength we bring to each day.
300 pages 978-1452134772 Ages 12-15
Recommended by: Barb Langridge, abookandahug.com
