Title: The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Major Themes: Foster Children, Family
Synopsis: After Hank’s mother disappears, the eleven-year-old tries to take care of his three-year-old sister, Boo, the way he always has—but when it becomes obvious they need help, where can Hank turn?
One of my favorite things when I’m doing somewhat boring jobs is listening to audiobooks while I work. One of my more recent listens was The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, and let me tell you—it was a delight! I didn’t know what to expect when I first got into the book, because contemporary middle-grade stories can be somewhat hit-and-miss with me, but this one ended up being a winner!
Publisher’s description:
Readers will be rooting for a happy ending for Hank in Newbery-Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko’s gripping story of a boy struggling to hold his family together when his mom doesn’t come home.
When eleven-year-old Hank’s mom doesn’t come home, he takes care of his toddler sister, Boo, like he always does. But it’s been a week now. They are out of food and mom has never stayed away this long…Hank knows he needs help, so he and Boo seek out the stranger listed as their emergency contact.
But asking for help has consequences. It means social workers, and a new school, and having to answer questions about his mom that he’s been trying to keep secret. And if they can’t find his mom soon, Hank and Boo may end up in different foster homes—he could lose everything.
Gennifer Choldenko has written a heart-wrenching, healing, and ultimately hopeful story about how complicated family can be. About how you can love someone, even when you can’t rely on them. And about the transformative power of second chances.
My thoughts:
It’s hard to imagine Hank’s situation, but unfortunately, I don’t think it’s uncommon. I got angry at his mom at one point, and occasionally, I got a little upset with Hank, too, for wanting to trust her—even though that was a perfectly natural response! I loved seeing those that gathered around Hank and Boo and supported them—it made me wish that there were more kind-hearted people in the world like that!
As far as the characters go, I’d say Choldenko is brilliant. Hank, Boo, Ray, and some of the others felt very real to me. I rooted for them, got frustrated at times, and once or twice wanted to knock a few heads together. I loved the way Hank did his best to care for his sister, even in the times when he couldn’t physically be with her. I loved Boo’s cheerfulness and the way she won the hearts of everyone around her—she felt like an authentic three-year-old, one I’d love to spend an afternoon with. And Hank’s teammates, Ray, and even LouAnn, were all wonderful, supportive friends.
Although it’s not unusual to read books that contain stories about broken families (single parents, etc.), where I feel The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman is different is that it showcases the foster system side of things. I’ve read very few fiction books that deal with fostering (somehow, it seems like adoption is a more common theme), so that aspect was quite special to me. This book shows some of the difficulties foster families and children face, as well as the hope foster families can bring to situations. If you enjoy heartfelt stories about family, friendship, determination, and courage, this could be a great book for you. It doesn’t have any overt faith elements, but it’s a solid, engaging read. I enjoyed this story!
WARNING: Chapter 1: Smells like crap. Chapter 22: Oh my God. Chapter 29: Someone teases a boy about kissing a girl, oh my God. Chapter 34: Lying. Chapter 41: Oh God. Chapter 46: I swear. Chapter 50: I swear. Chapter 53: Lying.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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