He needs to figure out what had happened to his grandpa, Ed DeBose. Throughout his summer, Brendan has to figure out a mystery. The book Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything in it is mainly about a boy named Brendan Buckley who loves to collect rocks and is also, smart and adventurous. It concentrates on the question of why people-from the kids in the park to his own grandfather-express racism, without any events or descriptions which are too horrific. It tackles racism well from a kid's point of view, without easy fixes or simple answers. The book has a breezy feel to it, accurately representing the day-to-day life of kids, complete with Tae Kwon Do lessons, going with his grandma to get her nails done, and the fun and guilt of flinging a little sister's dolls into a swimming pool with a handmade catapult. The big question is why this grandfather has chosen to not to be a part of his life until now, and why his mother won't talk about him at all. He and his grandfather share many "scientist" characteristics.
He discovers he has a white grandfather he never knew he had when he runs into him at a rock exhibit. Brendan is always writing questions in a notebook because he wants to become a scientist.
This is a nice realistic fiction novel about a mixed race, extremely curious boy. This book would make a great read-aloud for the brave soul who doesn't mind a science experiment about the size of a 10-year-old boy's bladder (hold it forever and pee into a 2 liter bottle!) This would also be a compelling book for any child who isn't quite sure how he or she fits into categories defined by others. Most importantly, he discovers that there is a looming family secret around the question of an absent grandfather. Over the course of the book he has several encounters which bring the question of race into stark relief.
Up to this point, his life has been fairly sheltered, and he hasn't had to consider how race shapes who he is. He's also involved with Tae Kwon Do and constantly seeks to apply the precepts of that discipline to his daily life. Brendan is a self-described scientist - asking questions, looking for answers, and struggling to against the information constraints imposed by his parents. His internal dialogue during his quest to understand the world around him keeps the book lighthearted, while also sometimes poignant. I thoroughly enjoyed Brendan's character. I think this has to go onto my wishlist of books to own. 5/2/11 ** This was a Young Hoosier Nominee for 2010-2011 before I returned all the nominees to the library, there were a few I still wanted to read.
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