Ethan, Suspended
Ethan, Suspended
Pamela Ehrenberg
Eighth grader Ethan Oppenheimer is very unhappy to find his life in utter turmoil. Having gotten suspended from school right in the middle of his parents escalating marital problems, he is sent of to stay with his grandparents. Ethan doesn't know them well, and has trouble understanding their way of life. They are the only white, Jewish couple in a troubled Washington D.C. neighborhood, don't have a computer, and are too cheap to even buy paper sacks to put his lunch in. He is miserable being away from his family, and is having trouble comprehending his parent's separation. He is even more upset when he realizes he isn't just visiting his grandparents for a week like he thought, but is going to be enrolled in the local school, where he finds himself to be a minority of one. After much frustration and suffering, Ethan begins to find his way by making new friends and learning how to play oboe for the jazz band.
A book trying to touch on as many heavy topics as this one does - riots, ghettoisation of communities, racism, gangs, privilege and more - risks being didactic and heavy handed. But the author does an amazing job of keeping this buoyant and enjoyable, even while exploring serious territory. Ethan's vulnerability and growth is completely believable, and I've found myself wondering how he and the other endearing characters have been doing since I put down the book...making me realize they are so real feeling that I wish they were my friends. Highly recommended for middle school readers.