
Between Mom and Jo
By Kate Pavao,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tender tale about a boy whose moms split up.
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Based on 1 parent review
What's the Story?
Nick loves his practical birth mom, Erin, and her crude partner Jo, so when they split up, he feels torn in two. Especially when his mom refuses to let him see Jo, who has no legal rights to him.
Is It Any Good?
Told in flashbacks, this book will certainly give readers the sense of how much Nick loves both his mothers -- practical Erin, his birth mother, and her rather crude partner, Jo. They will also get a strong sense of how complicated the women are, especially Jo, who struggles with alcoholism. This is a book about a kid with gay parents, certainly. Nick not only endures teasing from his peers, he must deal with a prejudiced teacher. Also, when his moms break up, Jo is left without any legal rights to Nick. But more than anything, this is a book about a family that falls apart.
Like all families, they share many small moments together (eating watermelon in the backyard) and are there for each other in the big moments (dealing with Erin's breast cancer). The author's careful rendering of their memories -- complete with very real, fast-moving dialog -- makes it easy to understand why Nick is so devastated when they split. Readers will certainly empathize with Nick when he prays into the night, "Jo, please...Hear me. Come and get me. Give us back our life."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about other books and media about gay families. Do you think that these books are only helpful to kids like Nick growing up with gay parents -- or do kids with straight parents have something to gain from them too?
Also, were you surprised by the harassment that Nick faced? Does that seem realistic given what you see at your own school?
Book Details
- Author: Julie Anne Peters
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
- Publication date: April 1, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 12
- Number of pages: 240
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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