Book Review: The PS Brothers by Maribeth Boelts

The PS Brothers
by Maribeth Boelts
Non-series

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN-10: 0-547-34249-7
ISBN-13: 978-0-547-34249-8
Publication Date: October, 2010
List Price: $15.00

Review: The PS Brothers is a book of responsibility and hard work, written by Maribeth Boelts. Russell Woods and Shawn Timmerman are just two 6th graders that are poor. They have nothing else but themselves and their family. Sixth grade is kind of difficult for them because every day they have to deal with their bully Terry that would always bother them and mess with their stuff. He would also be noisy.

The PS Brothers is mainly about Russell and Shawn trying to get a dog in the hopes that it would protect them from all bullies like Terry. But they don't want a cute, sweet dog, they want a mean, vicious dog that will frighten all bullies and make it so that no one would bully them ever again. So one day they passed a homemade sign that reads "Purebred Rottweiler's-$200". As soon as they see that sign they go to the owners house to get more information. The first payment would be $10 and the rest they could pay later. So they set out to find a way to raise money, and they eventually decide that the perfect job would be scooping up poop. Every day if they made money they would go make a payment to Nick the owner of the puppies. Will they ever able to raise enough money? Will the dog be able to protect them?

What I like about The PS Brothers is that Maribeth Boelts is so descriptive in the story. She provides a lot of details about a section of the story and what people would be doing as well as providing facts on topics. I also like that Maribeth made Russell and Shawn so creative about their ideas to raise money to buy a Pit bull and it is a great message to show they really believed in themselves. I did not enjoy the petty arguments that Russell and Shawn would get into because it seems pointless. But everything else I truly liked and it is just really creative. You should read this book because it will inspire you to do the impossible and regardless of how old you are. Just be creative like Maribeth Boelts.

When I read this book I wished there was more because I loved how they knew that their parents would not give them the money to buy a dog so they decided to create their own business and they too believed that they would succeed. I think this book is an amazing book because it can touch children to believe that they too can do whatever they want to do in life even though it can be very difficult. So you have to continue to find out did they raise the $200 dollars before the owner Nick give away the puppies or were they too late?

Review written by Ivonne (6th grade student).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of The PS Brothers for this review.

Have you read The PS Brothers? How would you rate it?