A Small White Scar (unabr.).
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B. Allison Gray, John Jermain Memorial Library, Sag Harbor, NY -- School Library Journal, 7/27/2007
A Small White Scar (unabr.). 4 cassettes or 4 CDs. 4 hrs. Recorded Books. 2006. cassette, ISBN 1-4281-0453-4: $30.75; CD, ISBN 1-4281-0458-5: $46.75.
Gr 5-7–Will and Denny are 15-year-old twins living on a cattle ranch in Colorado with their father in the 1940s. Will wants to join the rodeo, but his father expects him to look after his brother, who has Down's Syndrome. While Will loves his brother and shares a special relationship with him, he's made up his mind to leave home and compete in a nearby rodeo. When Denny follows him, Will's frustration and anger mount and, after a medical emergency, Will physically takes out his frustration on the trusting Denny. In the end, Will and his father come to an understanding and the teenager is able to envision a future in which he doesn't have to give up his life for his brother. The confusion, tension, and conflicting emotions Will displays toward his differently-abled brother are brilliantly and poignantly conveyed in this bluntly realistic debut novel (Joanna Cotler Books, 2006) by K.A. Nuzum. Narrator Steven Boyer clearly communicates the conflicted feelings Will has towards his brother. A compelling listen.
