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Gardner Dickinson has always been very laid-back. That's why it doesn't really bother him that while his friends and sister seem to have long-term goals, he just moseys through life browsing through books and trying out weights, without ever finishing a novel or beginning an exercise program. Then, his dad gets laid off and can't seem to motivate himself to find another job. As he watches his... More

Gardner Dickinson has always been very laid-back. That's why it doesn't really bother him that while his friends and sister seem to have long-term goals, he just moseys through life browsing through books and trying out weights, without ever finishing a novel or beginning an exercise program. Then, his dad gets laid off and can't seem to motivate himself to find another job. As he watches his father putter aimlessly in the garage day after day, Gardner begins to suspect that his inability to concentrate may be hereditary. And during a serious heart-to-heart talk about the state of their family, older sister Lacey confirms it: "You and Dad both have a problem in the focusing and following-through departments... you come up with a new delusion every week but you don't act on a single one." Gardner wants to prove Lacey wrong, so he takes up running, forcing himself to stick with it even when he wants to quit. But while Gardner is learning discipline, his dad seems to be slipping further and further into a deep depression. Can Gardner convince his father that it's not too late to change his ways before their family drifts apart from lack of focus?

Randy Powell has written a subtle, smart novel that sincerely portrays two of the most difficult hurdles of adolescence: the search for meaning in one's life and the dawning realization that parents are people, too. A thoughtful addition to Powell's collection of teen-boy-angst novels, the most recent being Tribute to Another Dead Rock Star. (Ages 13 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

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