Belton, Sandra. Storebought baby.

BELTON, Sandra. Storebought baby. HarperCollins. c2006. 256p. 0-06-085086-8. $15.99. JS

The death of her big brother Luce has understandably affected Leah's whole family. She endures the funeral, the return to school, and the unending looks of sympathy and concern. But Leah is torn between anger and sadness. Luce had been particularly close to their mother and without him, Leah is afraid that she has lost her connection to her parents. This is made harder for her given the fact that Luce was adopted.

Leah wonders about Luce's birth parents and about whether or not he had ever wanted to find them. When Mahri, Luce's older girlfriend, comes to visit, Leah questions her about Luce. She is introduced to a whole different brother with plans and interests she had never known. Mahri agrees to help Leah find out more about Luce and together they visit the agency from which he was adopted. The visit raises more questions than it resolves and Leah must go to her parents for help. Intertwined is Leah's first tentative relationship with a sensitive classmate who understands Leah's pervading sadness. He helps her get back into a life that will not be the same but will nonetheless be filled with joy again. This is an affecting novel dealing with a difficult loss and emphasizing the redemptive power of family. Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof., English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.