Bullyville

by Francine Prose

Summary:
Bart's parents worked together in the World Trade Center.  It's where they met, where they fell in love, where they worked every day even after his father left his mom for someone else. But no one knew that on the day that the planes hit the towers. On a day he had a fever so his mom stayed home to take care of him instead of going to work.  So instead of losing both his parents, it was only his dad that was gone. But he was gone already, but no one quite understands. Now Bart's at a prep school on a scholarship because everyone feels bad for him, but the school is only making his life worse.

Review:
One of the more interesting aspects of Bullyville was reading how Bart dealt with his father's death. He struggles to not only accept his father's death, but to find a way to accept that despite the fact that his father left he is still allowed to grieve.  The bullying at the school he attends seems a bit far fetched, however the main story is interesting. It's a good read for boys.

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 5th-6th Grade