Half Brother
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
From the Printz-Honor-winning author of Airborn comes an absorbing YA novel about a teen boy whose scientist parents take in a chimpanzee to be part of the family.For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan -- an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he's not the only one his father's going to scrutinize.It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ben is less than thrilled that his 13th birthday includes moving across Canada and getting a new "half brother" a baby chimpanzee named Zan that Ben's father, a behavioral psychologist, will be raising like a human to determine if chimps can learn sign language. Gradually, Ben comes around, learning more about Zan and chimps, but he still struggles with his social life in his new school, his parents' high expectations, and Zan's role in their lives is he family or just an "animal test subject?" Eventually he becomes Zan's greatest advocate when the project and Zan's life are threatened. While Ben and his family initially anthropomorphize Zan, Oppel doesn't, and as Zan gets older and stronger, the characters (and readers) are able to see an honest portrait of chimpanzee behavior, from the very best to the most brutal. Set in 1973, Zan's story echoes that of real chimpanzee studies of the era, though Oppel (the Airborn series) avoids dry factual recitations, or proselytizing when animal activism is introduced. Oppel's story is filled with compassion and has no easy answers. Ages 12 up.
Customer Reviews
Half Brother Kenneth Oppel
I thought that half brother was an amazing book I recommend this book to lots of people who are thoughtful and caring about monkeys animals and anything because what Ben did for zan was incredible.😘😎😍☺️🤣😍😘😋😛
Great Book
Amazing, and surprising! Amazing book, I can't get over it, but please lower the price...