Barry's Sister

Barry's Sister is a wonderful book that I like because it shows some conflicts that children face in real life. This story is about a twelve year old girl, named Ellen. One day when she came back from school, her mom told her that she was pregnant. When she heard that, she felt jealous, but after all she was only beginning to face her long-hidden rage against her father a Naval officer aboard a nuclear submarine, for being away most of the time. She didn't like the idea of a new baby that would mess up her life, so she prays that the baby would disappear. When her brother Barry was born, he had cerebral palsy. Ellen felt that her terrible prayer was responsible, so she suffered overwhelming guilt. She decided that she hated Barry and wanted nothing to do with him. Then her mother's new friend, Maribeth, who had a disabled son, helped Ellen to see things differently. Maribeth explained to Ellen all about disability and cerebral palsy. So, then, Ellen understood and began to see things differently, and became dedicated to Barry, almost becoming a mother to him. She saw herself as a mother, caring for her cub, single-minded and ferociously protective. This is mostly interesting for girls but it does have appeal for any girl about age 12 or older. Mothers would also find it interesting.