Partners - Hardcover

Grade 3-4?When their sister's cat runs away from home, Jamie and his older brother use this perfect opportunity to raise mice. Jamie wants them to be pets; Gordon wants to sell them as snake food. This conflict of interest causes Jamie much anguish, and he has to figure out how to get out of this partnership without upsetting his brother. After much thought and concern, he comes up with the ideal solution to this dilemma when his class is assigned a special math project called "Brain Busters." The combination of likable characters, true-to-life conflicts between siblings, and contemporary setting will appeal to fans of Eth Clifford and Patricia Reilly Giff. Occasional full-page black-and-white cartoon drawings capture the story's antics. An entertaining, easy-to-read chapter book.?April L. Judge, Association for Library Service to Children, ALA, Chicago
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3^-5. Jamie is thrilled to be partners with his brother, Gordon, in raising mice--until he finds out that Gordon plans to sell the baby mice as snake food and sees the creatures only as "little furry dollar signs." To solve the problem, Jamie enters into another partnership--this time with math wiz Dara, who helps him do some fancy figuring to convince greedy Gordon that his efforts won't pay off. Believable characters, fresh dialogue, and a well-crafted plot set this story apart from the average middle-grade novel, and the use of math to solve a real-life problem will please parents and teachers who are always trying to convince kids that math does have practical applications. Lauren Peterson