Amy S. Hansen (Children's Literature)
Ten-year-old Brendan is a budding scientist and has decided to start collecting rocks during the summer. For the most part, he is comfortable in his milk-chocolate colored skin. He has a good pal, and he knows what he wants to do. He can ignore the racist taunts of a few older kids. He can ignore it, that is, until he meets his long absent grandfather who runs the local rock hound club. Now Brendan has to find out why his grandfather lives so close, and yet has never been to his house. It is a book of complexity about society and multi-racial families. Brendan has a white mother and black father. He has one grandmother (father’s mother) who stays close to the family. While his maternal grandfather cut himself off. The questions raised are almost as old as the rocks Brendan wants to collect, but fortunately, for Brendan, people can speak to give answers. 2007, Delacorte Press, $14.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 18))
Ten-year-old Brendan Buckley, future scientist, expects to have a busy summer, between practicing Tai Kwon Do, spending time with his parents and paternal grandmother and writing in the notebook he fills with all of his questions and their answers. Then he runs into his maternal grandfather, Ed, at a rock-and-mineral show. They've never met before, and all Brendan knows is that his mother won't talk about why. Initially unsure, Brendan decides to get to know his grandfather in secret. When they find out, his parents reveal that it is Ed's bigotry concerning mixed-race couplesùBrendan's mother is white and his father is blackùthat has resulted in his absence. No stranger to racism, Brendan attempts to answer the question of why anyone would feel this way, as he simultaneously tries to find a way to bring his family together. Brendan is an appealing character with a sense of honor, and if the ending is a bit pat, Brendan's curiosity and intelligence compensate. A good, accessible selection to inspire discussion of racism and prejudice. 2007, Delacorte, 208p, $14.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 10 to 12. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Jill King (Library Media Connection, January 2008)
Brendan is an ordinary 10 year old interested in scientific discoveries, collecting rocks, and Tae Kwon Do, but readers soon discover that some people in town view him differently because of the color of his skin. The fact that Brendan is biracial has never affected him, until he discovers his long lost grandpa at a rock collecting show, and learns the real reason why he has been absent all these years. Grandpa Debose did not accept his daughter's marriage to a black man, and Brendan's mom has not spoken to him or about him since. Using his top secret notebook for scientific discoveries, Brendan writes down questions he cannot explain and sets out to prove why Grandpa Debose did not accept his dad because of his skin color. Biracial readers, and others, can easily identify with Brendan and his quest for answers to life's sometimes unanswered questions about racism and acceptance. Sundee Frazier's own experiences as a biracial child help to further enrich the storyline and characters. This book is a great resource for biracial students and others who are trying to find a sense of belonging. Recommended. 2007, Delacorte Press (Random House), 208pp., $17.99 lb. Ages 9 to 14.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2008)
Biracial Brendan, a budding geologist, wonders about many "Big Questions." He gets to know his white grandfather, a "rock hound" with whom he has much in common, hoping to find answers. Despite the book's heavy-handed message about prejudice and tolerance, Brendan's winning nature is engaging enough to overcome the story's predictable resolution. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2007, Delacorte, 196pp, 14.99, 17.99. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 4: Recommended, with minor flaws.