Book Title: Fair Has Nothing to Do With It

Author Name: Cynthia Cotten

Reviewed by T.F.K. Reporter: Emily Doveala

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Number of Pages: 150

What’s the basic storyline? Michael is about to spend his entire summer at his grandparents’ farm, when his grandpa has a heart attack and dies. He gets very upset, and it doesn’t help that his dad, who is working on his Ph.D dissertation, isn’t always there for him. On top of all that, Michael’s new math teacher, Mr. Wolf (a.k.a. Wolfman), gives him a hard time when school starts again.
There are some positive aspects of Michael’s life, too. Michael takes art lessons from Charlie Andrews, a friend of Michael’s dad. Also, Michael has a crush on the new girl at school, Melanie Cook.
This book teaches readers that life isn’t over when something awful happens, such as the loss of a loved one. Michael’s ability to bounce back is clearly tested when his grandfather dies, but he’s tested again by something in the story’s surprise ending.

Were the characters believable? The characters in this book are believable. For example, Michael handled the death of a loved one like any other kid realistically might. Michael is a likeable character and the author makes it easy to connect with him during his times of sadness and confusion.

Would you recommend this book to kids? Why or why not? I would recommend this book to kids who like realistic stories. Several slightly humorous parts make the sad parts easier to stomach. The moral of the story, to keep going when something bad happens, gives readers something to think about.

What’s not-so-great about the book? One not-so-great thing about the book is that it is a little depressing at times. It is also a short book, so if you are looking for a long novel to read, this would not be the book for you.

On a scale of one to ten (ten being best) how would you rate this book? I would rate this book as a 4. My reasoning is that it was slightly depressing and not very adventurous and exciting. The book was simply about an ordinary kid going through ordinary things.