ORBITING JUPITER, by Gary D. Schmidt

The story: Jack’s new foster brother, Joseph, has had terrible things happen in his life. Even though Joseph is just 14, he’s been abused, done time in juvie, and fathered a child. Now spending a frigid winter with the Hurd family on their farm, he little-by-little reveals his story to them and dreams about both meeting his daughter and moving on with his life. When tragedy overtakes him, it’s important for Jack to know that he has Joseph’s back–no matter what.

Mrs. Friend’s opinion: If you like stories about the awful things that can happen to someone who doesn’t even deserve it, here you go!  Make sure you have some tissues on hand for the end.

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