Elisabeth Greenberg (Children's Literature)
Jake Semple, a public school reject with tufts of dyed red hair and numerous earrings as well as an eyebrow ring, becomes the latest member of the Applewhite Creative Academy, a home school run by a family of artists. When a daughter was told that a zebra couldn't have black and purple stripes, particularly in a science report, the Applewhites pulled their children out of local schools to follow their own interests. Jake has a hard time deciding whether reform school or the Creative Academy could be worse as he encounters vegetarian meals, a no smoking zone that extends over the 16-acre family farm, and adults who do not even notice his hair or his jewelry. Who is he if he can't push people's buttons? Then the family dog adopts him. Jake's age mate and school mentor E.D. becomes more and more frustrated with her family's disregard for her organizational skills; she would welcome a chance to go to a real school. E.D.'s father discovers Jake's voice and casts him as the love interest Rolf in The Sound of Music. Then the technical staff walks off. E.D. becomes stage manager; she is the only one organized enough to pull her wildly creative family together. This funny tale with its engaging madcap characters will keep kids reading right thought to the final page where Jake decides that acting is great, but perhaps his own true hair color, and his own true self, will do just fine in today's world. 2002, Harper Collins Publishers, $15.99. Ages 10 up.

Molly Robertson (Children's Literature)
Stephanie Tolan tells the story of two thirteen-year olds, E.D. Applewhite and Jake Semple, who are struggling with their identities and their places in the world. E.D. is the only practical member of the famous and highly artistic Applewhites and does not quite fit in with her flighty family. Jake, a "wannabe" juvenile delinquent, comes to live with the Applewhites and attend their home school in North Carolina. Discord is imminent as the two teenagers enter into a battle for dominance, identity, and a niche in the Applewhite family. Their town hires E.D.'s father, a famous Broadway director, to direct a production of The Sound of Music but fires him because of his "color-blind casting." This event gives E.D. and Jake the opportunity for real self-discovery. Stephanie Tolan's novel proffers the philosophy that there is no such thing as a bad kid; children simply need the right kind of environment to express their passions. Surviving the Applewhites offers young adults several different options for self-expression such as acting, painting, carpentry, writing, yoga, and science. This novel, falling in the median age range of young adult literature, is excellent for a teenager or preteen with an identity crisis. Enjoyable and humorous, it urges kids to be themselves, find out what they like to do, and pursue that. Although the tale may be a little far-fetched, it is an uplifting and optimistic story. 2002, Harper Collins, $15.99. Ages 10 up.

CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices, 2003)
Jake Semple is a bad kid. He's been kicked out of one school after another, including one that he is suspected of burning down. In a last ditch attempt, his grandfather places Jake at the "Creative Academy," a home school run by the artistic Applewhite family for their own children. The adult Applewhites maintain a hands-off policy towards their children's education, allowing them to develop their own lessons based on their interests of the moment. Only E.D., twelve years old and the "non-artistic" Applewhite, shows an academic bent, and Jake is directed to tag along on her self-directed, carefully orchestrated curriculum. The two are immediately at odds with one another, but the rest of the Applewhite clan surprise Jake with their tolerance for his radical hair color, multiple facial piercings, and off-color language. The larger-than-life plot includes a color- and gender-blind production of the Sound of Music, in which Jake finds his niche playing Rolf. Jake surprises everyone, himself included, with his real musical talent and interest in theater. At the same time, E.D. begins to appreciate her own strengths as she excels in the position of stage manager. The entertaining Applewhite's eccentricities provide a colorful backdrop as two young adolescents begin to travel the path to self-discovery. CCBC categories: Fiction For Children; Fiction For Young Adults; The Arts. 2002, HarperCollins, 216 pages, $15.99. Ages 11-14.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2002 (Vol. 70, No. 14))
Reminiscent of the loud, loving, eccentric family in Kaufman and Hart's You Can't Take It with You, the Applewhites are brilliantly talented and wildly adverse to mainstream mentality. As successful writers, directors, and artists, they are sure that their creative ideas will help a delinquent teen, Jake, turn away from destructive thinking and behavior and turn toward educational and personal interests that will teach him how to be happy. Even though E.D. admires her family's brilliance, she knows they don't have the patience and foresight to adequately plan for success; in fact, she's the only one in the family with a creative talent for organization. Business and personal associates commonly come to visit, and many end up taking semi-permanent residence in the 16-acre paradise, adding to the already quirky group. Though they enjoy the luxury of pursuing their aspirations in the Applewhite's comfortable home and modernized school, they are blinded by the Applewhite fame, taking E.D.'s skills for granted until the conflict of promoting Jake's education and producing a well-known play sweeps everyone into a hurricane of activity and invention requiring the coordination that only E.D. can supply. Tolan (Flight of the Raven, 2001, etc.) systematically combines third-person narration and the semi-omniscient first-person narration of E.D. and Jake, ultimately resulting in well-built characterizations held together in a structure that smoothly organizes the chaos that busy artistic geniuses generate. 2002, HarperCollins, $15.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 11 to 14. © 2002 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Paula Rohrlick (KLIATT Review, July 2002 (Vol. 36, No. 4))
With his spiked hair, piercings, and all-black clothing, 13-year-old Jake looks the part of the juvenile delinquent he's supposed to be. After all, he burnt down his school (though it was an accident) after his parents went to jail for growing marijuana, and he's been kicked out of a bunch of schools in his native Rhode Island. Now he's staying with his grandfather in rural North Carolina, and the only educational institution that will have him is the Creative Academy, the home school run by the zany Applewhite family on their farm, Wit's End. The Applewhites, from four-year-old Destiny to grandfather Zedediah, are all creative, talented, artistic types, and their haphazardly run school is more of a self-education opportunity. E.D., the almost 13-year-old daughter of the clan, feels like the odd one out--her talents lie in organization, not in art, writing, dance, or theater, like the rest of the family. But when her director father undertakes a local production of The Sound of Music, all the Applewhites throw themselves into making it a success. E.D. is indispensable as stage manager, and Jake gets a starring role in the play and discovers a passion for the stage. Just like the butterflies they hatch from caterpillars as part of a self-directed science project, the two adolescents find their wings. This is a fun, quick read that will amuse younger YAs. The Applewhites and their wacky exploits are engaging, the story moves swiftly, and Jake's gradual transformation from unhappy bad boy to eager participant in the play and in Applewhite family life is credible and satisfying. Along the way, Tolan pokes fun at the artistic temperament and at the media. An entertaining romp. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: J--Recommended for junior high school students. 2002, HarperCollins, 224p., $15.99.. Ages 12 to 15.

Joy Frerichs (The ALAN Review, Spring/Summer 2003 (Vol. 30, No. 3))
Individuality is important to Jake Semple. He is a juvenile delinquent who sports an eyebrow ring, spiked and garish red hair, black clothes, numerous earrings--anything it takes to be noticed. In a final attempt to rehabilitate him, Jake is sent to the Applewhites, a quirky, artistic family whose many interests include butterflies, goats, dogs, and theater. Before long, Jake is immersed in the family's lives and projects. Soon, Jake no longer feels a need to make a statement with his appearance, since no one really cares about how he looks. He only wants to find his true self. The Applewhites's sense of family, love of learning, and ability to accept people of all backgrounds send a strong yet subtle message. Readers will find this book appeals to them on many levels. It especially speaks to the rebel in all of us. This book will pique the interest of even the most reluctant reader. Category: Family Life/Individuality. YA--Young Adult. 2002, HarperCollins, 216 pp., $15,99. Ages young adult.Chatsworth, GA

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, October 2002 (Vol. 56, No. 2))
Jake Semple has had an impressive career of school expulsion, so his residential placement in the Applewhites’ home-schooling program is pretty much his last chance. He’s academically teamed with one of the family daughters, twelve-year-old E. D., who’s annoyed at being saddled with Jake; Jake in turn is stunned by the colorful crew that is the Applewhites and startled to find himself getting sucked into their world and their schemes, especially E. D.’s father’s tempestuous local production of The Sound of Music. While eccentric families are a reliable source of comedic chaos, there’s ultimately not much beyond that here: the sources of Jake’s delinquency are overexplained (and oversimplified) at the beginning but never really addressed, as he seems merely to be ignored by more artistic people than usual. Except for E. D., whose dilemma (feeling out of place in her creative family) never really gets solved, the Applewhites seem to be more labels than characters, and they’re surprisingly superficial and charmless (and the youngest Applewhite, who wins Jake’s heart, is a cutesy cliché). Events are contrived with a heavy hand, as are responses to them--the havoc-ridden Sound of Music production, for instance, is received with baffling reverence. For a better portrait of a kid unwillingly undergoing reformation, look to Williams-Garcia’s Like Sisters on the Homefront (BCCB 9/95); McKay’s Saffy’s Angel, 5/02 (or that old classic You Can’t Take It with You), is a better depiction of the strength and humor of an unconventional family. Review Code: M -- Marginal book that is so slight in content or has so many weaknesses in style or format that it should be given careful consideration before purchase. (c) Copyright 2002, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2002, HarperCollins, 216p, $17.89 and $15.99. Grades 5-8.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2003)
Twelve-year-old E.D. Applewhite is the sensible, organized sister in a free-wheeling family of artists and writers. Juvenile delinquent Jake comes to stay with—and be homeschooled by—the Applewhites after he's kicked out of yet another school. In this warm and amusing romp, E.D. and Jake come to recognize their own talents—and better understand each other—while working on a chaotic community theater production of The Sound of Music. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2002, HarperCollins, 216pp, 15.99, 17.89. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Sharon Dollins (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 15, No. 2))
Jake, a potential juvenile delinquent, is sent to be home schooled at the Applewhite Creative Academy. If he is kicked out of this school, he will be sent to Juvenile Hall. Even though the family is eccentric, Jake becomes an active member of the group and discovers talents he never knew he had. Readers will enjoy how Jake gradually gives up his rebellious language, dress, and hair color because he realizes how useless it is. Fiction. Grades 4-6. 2002, HarperCollins, 216p, $17.89. Ages 9 to 12.

Susan H. Levine (VOYA, October 2002 (Vol. 25, No. 4))
Education is an adventurous quest for the meaning of life, involving an ability to think things through. Such is the philosophy of the Applewhite's Creative Academy in North Carolina, where thirteen-year-old Jake Semple finds himself after being expelled from the Rhode Island school system-something about a school burning to the ground. The multigenerational Applewhites-grandfather, aunt and uncle, parents, and four children, plus assorted animals: a demonic goat, a loveable dog, and a foul speaking parrot-all live at Wit's End, a former farm and then motel. Jake is fond of smoking and using four-letter words, wears black, and has spiky red hair and numerous piercings on an ear and eyebrow. He is pretty sure that he will not be at the Creative Academy for long. He is paired with twelve-year-old E. D. (Edith Wharton) Applewhite, who feels that she is quite different from the rest of her family because she does not have a creative or artistic bent. Instead she is very organized and focused, and being with Jake has spoiled her goals for herself. E. D.'s father, a director, becomes involved in the local production of The Sound of Music, and eventually the whole family and Jake are drawn into the show, each having the opportunity to grow and demonstrate success. In the process, a number of obstacles put the school's philosophy to the test. In this thoroughly enjoyable book with humor, well-drawn characters, and a super cover, the events are seen mostly through E. D.'s and Jake's eyes. The two characters' clashing personalities develop and change to the reader's satisfaction. The dog and four-year-old Destiny are treasures. This novel is pure fun. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2002, HarperCollins, 192p, $15.99. PLB, $17.89. Ages 11 to 15.