historical
Ages 10-14 Brotherhood by A.B. Westrick Viking Juvenile | www.us.penguingroup.com Winner of the 2012 SCBWI Book Launch Award
“G
eorge Nelson saw your brother. They fished him from a barrel in a pond and he said it was ‘the Weaver boy,’ and then he up and died. Your brother is going to pay this time. He can’t get out of this one.” “No, you got it wrong,” Shad said again, but the moment the words were out of his mouth, he knew he shouldn’t have spoken. He gritted his teeth and watched as the realization came over Rachel’s face. Her eyes grew silver-dollar bright. Her neck stretched up and her shoulders down. Then her mouth fell open and she covered it with her hand, even as she spoke. “You were there.” Shad’s tongue grew thick. He wanted to speak, but he couldn’t form words. “Get on! What do you know?” “I—I—” “You tell me. You tell me right now! You know what happened.” He shook his head. “I see it in your eyes.” “Rachel—” “Don’t you Rachel me, Mr. Weaver. Sir!” Maybe it was the way she said sir. Maybe it was the way she saw through him. Maybe it was the way Mama had shaken all over this morning. Or the way they’d taken Jeremiah when he was so fast asleep and hung-over, he hadn’t put up a fight. Maybe it was Rachel saying George Nelson had died. He didn’t know, but he grabbed Rachel’s
wrists and twisted them. He bent them into each other and heard her let out a little shriek, and he didn’t let go. Through her arms he felt her weight shift and knew her knees had buckled, but still he didn’t let go. Her eyes bored into him and he held her wrists and he felt strong. From Brotherhood by A.B. Westrick, Viking Juvenile, 2013. http://www.us.penguingroup.com/ nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780670014392,00. html?Brotherhood_Anne_Westrick. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
COOL READS FOR COOL KIDS 17