Brendan Buckley's Sixth-Grade Experiment by Sundee T Frazier - ADVISABLE

Frazier, Sundee T.  Brendan Buckley's Sixth Grade Experiment, 278 pages.  Delacorte Press (Random House), 2012.  $16.99.  Language: G; Sexual Content: G; Violence: G.  This is a sequel to Frazier's Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It, which I have never read.  Brendan is now on his way to the sixth grade and middle school, and he is very concerned with how he looks to his friends as all middle schoolers are.  So when he meets Morgan, who was home-schooled up until this year, at a rock expedition he promises to be her friend at school to help her feel more comfortable.  But when he gets to school and he sees how terribly she fits in, he isn't quite brave enough to live up to his promise.  The book then chronicles Brendan's science project/experiment, his Tae Kwon Do practice, and his misunderstandings with his very-different-from-him father.  I enjoyed this book.  Since I never read the first one, I knew nothing about the characters coming into reading the book.  At first, I had a hard time relating to Brendan because he is a science guy and I am an arts guy, but after not too long I was able to care about Brendan, Morgan, and everyone in the book.  I think that many brainy kids, or kids of mixed race, or kids who aren't like their father might be able to relate to Brendan, his world, and this book.  EL, MS - ADVISABLE.  Brent Smith, Reading Teacher