Between Two Brothers

by Crystal Allen

Overview

Inspired by real events, Between Two Brothers is a powerful and uplifting story about forgiveness, brotherhood, and the power of a family’s unconditional love, from Crystal Allen, the acclaimed author of How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy and the Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Perfect for readers who loved Fish in a Tree and Out of My Mind.

Isaiah "Ice" Abernathy has always worshiped his older brother, Seth. For years they’ve been not just brothers but best friends—and as Seth starts his senior year, Ice is eager to spend as much time with his brother as he can, making memories before Seth goes to college.

But when Seth announces he’s leaving much earlier than expected, and then he misses an important event—one he'd promised to attend—it causes a major fight.

Filled with regret, Ice plans to apologize to Seth later the next day, but later never comes, as he finds out Seth was in an accident—one that leaves him in the hospital. And the doctors say he may never recover.

Racked by fear and guilt, Ice chooses to step up, defy the experts, and help Seth recover in a way only he can—by trusting in their bond and the undying love between two brothers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063047297
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/23/2024
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	359,414
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Crystal Allen is the author of the middle grade novels How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy, The Laura Line, and the three books in the Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Her many accolades include the Sid Fleischman Humor Award for The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: The Wall of Fame Game and induction into the Texas Institute of Letters. Crystal is also a committee member of The Brown Bookshelf, the codirector of Kindling Words East, and a faculty member of Highlights for Children. She lives in Texas with her husband, Reggie, and two sons, Phillip and Joshua. Visit her online at crystalallenbooks.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/23/2023

A Black family must come together following a tragic event in this heartrending novel by Allen (How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy). Worried about his older brother Seth’s upcoming departure for Texas A&M on an athletic scholarship, 13-year-old Isaiah Abernathy endeavors to overcome his inner “shy guy” and build self-confidence without Seth’s help. When Seth’s attending an A&M meeting results in him missing the sibling sports competition which they entered at the local rec center, the brothers have an uncharacteristic physical altercation. Following the fight, a car accident involving Seth and an 18-wheeler leaves Seth critically injured and in a medically induced coma. Desperate to apologize to Seth and believing that “I’m going to be his compass, his light in that dark place. I’m going to lead him back home,” Isaiah determines to do whatever it takes to help Seth recover. Rendered in touching prose via Isaiah’s empathetic first-person voice, this tender ode to siblinghood showcases the occasional precarity of life’s best-laid plans and emphasizes that compassion and familial support can imbue one with the strength and resilience to overcome any obstacle. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

A moving and uplifting exploration of sibling bonds.”  — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Rendered in touching prose via Isaiah’s empathetic first-person voice, this tender ode to siblinghood showcases the occasional precarity of life’s best-laid plans and emphasizes that compassion and familial support can imbue one with the strength and resilience to overcome any obstacle. " — Publishers Weekly

"A powerful testament to the unwavering bond and unbreakable love between two siblings." — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Crystal Allen delivers an emotional triumph in Between Two Brothers. The bond between the Abernathy boys is tender, and the riveting plot doesn't side-step the pain of dealing with a life-changing accident, or the difficulties of navigating the medical system. Allen deftly illustrates how life may alter a family, but cannot change who they are at their core.”— — New York Times bestselling author Tracey Baptiste

"This book... these brothers... how is it possible that my heart is filled to the brim even as it breaks wide open? In Between Two Brothers, Crystal Allen takes broken-hearted gut punches and crafts real, truthful, lovely hope. Sometimes, the biggest gift life can give you is the realization that life is a gift. Crystal knows that truth, and now you will, too."— — K.A. Holt, author of House Arrest

“Tenderly told with voice and humor, Between Two Brothers is a beautiful story of love, perseverance, and hope. It’s a tale of family, community, and a bond between brothers that even the most devastating circumstances cannot destroy.”—  — Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor-winning author of Red, White, and Whole 

“Hope is something sweet that grows on the Abernathys’ family farm. Seth promises to nurture his younger brother. Ice roots for his older brother no matter what. The Abernathy family shows readers that bonds between two brothers can’t be broken.”— — Alison Green Myers, Schneider Family Book Award winning author of A Bird Will Soar

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: MYA IN THE MIDDLE: “Allen lassoes another terrific tale for the Magnificent Mya Tibbs series.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: THE WALL OF FAME GAME: “Hilarious...with a charming cast of characters that readers will be eager to follow.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Nuanced depictions of friendship coupled with larger-than-life and fully three-dimensional characters make this delightful book at once thoughtful and a riot to read.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “[A] winning series debut.” — Booklist

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Endearing” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “A big-hearted, high-spirited, cowboy-booted heroine…The story’s vivid small-town setting and memorable characters will have many readers looking forward to more Mya.” — Publishers Weekly

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Spunky, sweet hearted, and full of fun, Mya will have readers everywhere yelling ‘Yee-haw’!” — Varian Johnson, author of The Great Greene Heist

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “Looking for a book that sparkles with laughter and heart? Yippee kai-yay-here it is! Mya’s search for a true, not-fake friend will tickle your giggle bone and lasso your ticker. Everyone but everyone should have a friend like the magnetic and magnificent Mya Tibbs.” — Tricia Springstubb, author of Moonpenny Island and Cody and the Fountain of Happiness

Praise for THE MAGNIFICENT MYA TIBBS: SPIRIT WEEK SHOWDOWN: “In Spirit Week Showdown, earnest Mya, with her Texas charm and mounting friendship problems, kept me turning the pages all the way to the boo-yang cool finale. Trust me: you’ll want all your friends to read this one!” — Tracey Baptiste, author of The Jumbies, a School Library Journal selection

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “The protagonist’s emotional transformation will resonate with readers. Generational bonds, notably the growth of the relationship between Laura and her grandmother, are beautifully depicted. With its humor and deep reverence for history, Allen’s novel is an engaging treatment of the oft-told tale of looking within for beauty and strength.” — School Library Journal

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “This is a lively approach to an issue that’s come up recently in the news...and the historical aspect could help readers consider their own family lore that may not have made its way into written accounts.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “Laura Dyson’s sweet, sassy voice draws you into this delightful story of self-discovery and acceptance, unwavering friendship and the deep roots of one amazing family.” — Donna Gephart, author of Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen

Praise for THE LAURA LINE: “Crystal Allen shows us how our relatives, even the ones we’ve never met, sometimes have a way of gently weaving a path to exactly who we’re meant to be, our truest and best self.” — Kathryn Fitzmaurice, author of The Year the Swallows Came Early

Praise for HOW LAMAR'S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY: "Under all the braggadocio is a boy with a big heart, and from the first sentence Lamar will have readers hooked." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for HOW LAMAR'S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY: “This stands out for its unusual setting and smooth integration of friendship and family concerns. ” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for HOW LAMAR'S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY: “The powerful mix of sibling rivalry, revenge, and hard-won redemption strengthens the perennial appeal of the naïve-underdog-makes-good plot; readers will come for the laughs and stay for the laughs.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for HOW LAMAR'S BAD PRANK WON A BUBBA-SIZED TROPHY: “Crystal Allen has the rare ability to make you laugh out loud one minute and swell with tears the next. The tween book world has a new hero—Lamar Washington —as well as a brilliant new author who’s bound to win a Bubba-sized trophy herself!” — Neal Shusterman, author of THE SCHWA WAS HERE and BRUISER

From the Publisher

★ 2023-10-07
Some relationships cannot be broken.

Black 13-year-old Isaiah Abernathy is gearing up to see Seth, his older brother and best friend, head off to Texas A&M for college in a few months, much to his dismay. Seth is one of the few people who helps Isaiah keep a check on the inner “shy guy” who makes him feel nervous in social situations. The brothers have a strong bond and always look out for each other. So, when Seth misses the sibling sports competition at the local rec center, Isaiah fumes over what feels like a deep betrayal by his beloved older brother during his time of need. The following day, the two boys get into a heated argument—but before Isaiah can apologize, he learns that Seth was in a terrible accident that’s left him hospitalized in a medically induced coma. Isaiah battles his guilt and, rejecting the doctor’s grim prognosis, tries to find a way to help his brother heal. This book, narrated in Isaiah’s natural and inviting first-person voice, delves deeply into grief, accountability, and anxiety and shows, in an inspirational way, how strong the bonds between family members, friends, and community members can be in times of need. The book also explores with care the need for inner strength and the power of the human mind when working through trauma.

A moving and uplifting exploration of sibling bonds. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews