The Countess and Me by Paul Kropp Date of Publication: 2002 ISBN: 1550416928 Number of Pages: 142

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Average
GENRES: Realism
THEMES: Sacrifice and Redemption, Bullying, Friendship, Coming of Age

SUMMARY:
Jordan is the new kid in town and has trouble finding a place to fit in. Should he form a friendship with the class weirdo who thinks she is an author, try to get in good with the bad kids, or just continue to develop a friendship with the strange old lady on his street, Countess von Loewen? Of course, as any kid would, Jordan tries to work all three angles and ends up sorry in the end.

He finds himself betraying the Countess and weird Jessica in order to be “in” with cool Cullen and his buddies. Jordan has to deal with the betrayal of true friends and his guilty conscience at the same time as he struggles to be accepted in a new town. Jordan has serious consequences to face up to and life lessons to learn. He eventually realizes that popularity isn't always what it's cracked up to be, and that it usually comes at a price.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...

• enjoys books about family drama, friendships, and teen relationships
• can relate to being the “new kid in town”
• does best with a quick and easy read
• will recognize the lessons that are embedded in the storyline
• likes inspiring stories
• enjoys having a male protagonist and can relate to that
• has ever had to make a difficult choice between doing the right thing and doing the popular thing
  

WHAT ELSE?
The story is easy to read and quite enjoyable. The story line is quite realistic and easy to relate to, and boys as well as girls will relate, if they have ever been in this position before.
Because it is a quick read, it may attract reluctant readers for this reason. Note that it has no serious action or adventure, however, as a draw for reluctant boy readers.

RELATED LINKS:
Author’s Website
Teacher's Guide