1 of 1 copy available
Then Andi's biggest wish comes true and she's minutes away from becoming someone's little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he'll turn out to be tall and just as crazy as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he's tall all right. Eight feet tall, in fact—plagued by condition called Gigantism and troubled by secrets that he believes led to his phenomenal growth.
In a novel packed with quirkiness and humor, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.
-
Creators
-
Publisher
-
Awards
-
Release date
February 14, 2012 -
Formats
-
OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780307968760
- File size: 169808 KB
- Duration: 05:53:45
-
-
Languages
- English
-
Levels
- ATOS Level: 4.3
- Lexile® Measure: 670
- Interest Level: 6-12(MG+)
- Text Difficulty: 3
-
Reviews
-
In this story of a family caught between two cultures, a dual narration illuminates the dichotomy of realities faced by half-siblings Andi and Bernardo. Jayne Entwistle captures Andi's humor and youthful hopefulness as the story opens with a dramatic homecoming. Ramon de Ocampo gives a stellar performance as Bernardo, the long-lost brother who has grown up in the Philippines and who suffers from gigantism. The vocal contrast between Entwistle's British accent and de Ocampo's Filipino one adds to the polarity of the characters. Andi, the smallest in her grade, has big dreams of playing basketball, and Bernardo, at eight feet tall, is trying to find his place outside the superstitions he left behind. Like Andi's shot, you can't miss with this production. E.A.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine -
December 20, 2010
Thirteen-year-old Andi's brother, Bernardo, has lived halfway across the world from her since she was born. But the British Home Office has finally allowed 16-year-old Bernardo to immigrate to London, and he arrives just as basketball-obsessed Andi is struggling at a new school where the basketball team is boys-only. Bernardo has grown up in the small Philippine village of San Andres where he is hailed as a hero—often compared to the legendary, Paul Bunyanesque figure of Bernardo Carpio—yet is plagued by a past tragedy. At over eight feet tall, Bernardo is indeed a giant, a fact that initially freaks out tiny Andi (the family discovers he has a tumor on his pituitary gland). The story switches between Andi's feisty narration and Bernardo's descriptions of life in his village (and the mystical responsibility he feels for it) as well as his adjustment to life in London. Small details, such as why modern-day Andi
idolizes Michael Jordan instead of, say, LeBron James distract slightly, but overall first-time author Gourlay weaves just enough magic into this moving family
reunion to deliver an emotional punch. Ages 10–up.
-