THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN, by Gennifer Choldenko, Knopf Books for Young Readers, June 11, 2024, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 10 and up)
A boy tries to keep his family together after his mom fails to come home in The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, by Gennifer Choldenko.
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. —Synopsis provided by Knopf Books for Young Readers
I challenge you to not fall in love with Hank Hooperman. Author Gennifer Choldenko so perfectly captures his essence — flaws and all — that you can’t help rooting for him. Hank’s love for his sister is so pure. He understands how limited their options are, but won’t give up. He’s been handed responsibilities no child should ever have, and yet, he takes them on with determination and grit.
Choldenko gets Hank’s voice from the start: “My name is Hank Hooperman, but my little sister calls me Pooperman. We are Hooperman and Pooperman according to Boo. I’d like to be Hooperman and Superman, but try telling that to Boo.” This brightness fills the book, even in darker times, lacing even the hard things with hope.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman is written for middle readers, and Hank and his determination will resonate with them. But as a parent, it made me wish for better outcomes and it made me want to read it with my 10-year-old so that we could have important follow-up conversations about the challenges her peers could very well be facing. It’s an excellent read.
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