My Brother Made Me Do It

My Brother Made Me Do It
Author: Peg Kehret
Publisher/Date:Pocket Books 2000
# Pages:144
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Genre: Fiction

Summary:

The story is about an 11 year old girl named Julie. The story is written in the format of letters she writes to her 89 year old pen pal. The first few letters you learn a bit about Julie and her problems with her little brother, Frankie. He often gets her into trouble by convincing her to do crazy things. For example, at a church pancake throwing contest, he convinces her to freeze the pancakes with him so that they will win the contest. They get into trouble a couple of times, and Julie always complains about the way she gets sucked into following his crazy ideas. Before long, Julie begins to feel pain and stiffness in all her joints. She goes to the doctor to have some tests done, and they find that she has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). She's very upset about this, and she doesn't want to tell her friends about it. She deals with it though, but complains about the pain, the stiffness, the medication, and the fact that she can't roller skate. She runs for students council, and wins. Her friend is in charge of setting up the school's talent show, and she and Julie prepare a piano duet to play for it. Her other friend sets up a school fund raiser. It is a four mile run that all the students may participate in, and they are to get sponsors. Julie is really worried about this because she is worried she will be the only one in the whole school who can't run because of her JRA. She is able to get a doctors note to excuse her from the run, but she really wants to support her friend and her school. When the talent show comes around, her friend gets sick, so they aren't able to do their duet. Her other friend has the idea for Julie to do a talent with her brother. They have both been memorizing the headings of the encyclopedia, and they can recite them all together. They both end up winning first place, and get the chance to go to the district talent show to represent their school. Just days before the big race fund raiser, Julie hurts her ankle. She has to be on crutches which are very hard for her to use with her JRA. She decides that she will just use the doctor's note and not try to race. However, the day of the race, her brother, Frankie, tells her that she must try. She decides to do so, even if she can't finish the race. She is the last student, struggling to keep going on her crutches. When she feels like she can't go any farther, Frankie comes back to see her cross the finish line. Her friends come to support her to make it easier for her to walk, and a lot of other students come to cheer her on. She is able to finish the race with her brother and her friends by her side. The old woman she is writing to dies shortly after, so Julie's letters come to an end. However, at the end, her JRA is doing much better, and she is able to roller skate again.

Who would benefit from reading this book?

I think this book would be especially good for kids who have chronic diseases such as JRA. They would be able to identify with the main character, Julie, and be inspired by what she is able to accomplish even with her disease. I think it could also be beneficial for those who have problems with their siblings. They can also identify with Julie and Frankie's relationship and see how even though they have their quarrels, in the end her little brother is able to support her and give her strength in overcoming a specific trial.

What problems/conflicts could this book potentially cause?

I don't see this book causing any problems. It is an inspiring book about a girl who deals with JRA. The only thing that might be a problem is the pranks that Frankie gets Julie to participate in. Kids may want to try some of the things they do, but I think this is unlikely because Julie and Frankie always get caught and punished.

My Reaction:

I first read this book when I was around Julie's age. I began reading it because I found the title intriguing, and I thought it was going to be humorous. However, it turned out to be a pleasantly surprising story. I found it very inspiring, and I think I cried the first time. My older sister had dermatomyositis as a child, so I felt like I could relate somewhat to what Julie was going through. When I read it again, I liked it just as much. I would recommend this book to anyone.