The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt

In the book, The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt, a boy names Levi had a brother going into the army for three years.  He was happy because his brother was finally coming home.  He and his family went to the airport to pick him up.  Boaz had refused to get into the car.  When they wee having dinner later that  night, he just showed up at the door.  He was so traumatized by going to war that he wouldn’t come out of his room and he only spoke three words at a time.  Levi gave him his laptop for some time each day, so when he got it back he could check the websites that his brother was going on.
Levi and Boaz started talking again and they started to rebuild the friendship that they had.  Levi went to a party with Zim and Pearl.  When he got to the party, he met a girl named Celine.  They talked about how their brothers went to war and both came back traumatized.  Celine gave Levi her phone number and then the next morning he woke up in the hotel with Boaz.  Zim and Pearl came to his door because it was his birthday.  They gave Levi a birthday gift, but he didn’t have a gift for Pearl though they share a birthday.
Levi played cards with Boaz to keep him active, and after that they left the hotel to go to Washington, D.C.  Because Boaz doesn’t get into cars, they had to walk the 6 day trip.  On the way there, Boaz took his skateboard and went ahead of him so he could call Celine.
Submitted by Justin

The Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt is an amazing novel.  Levi, like little brothers everywhere, wants to be like his big brother Boaz.  Then Boaz goes to war.  Levi and Boaz both change after three years; Levi isn’t the annoying little brother that follows Boaz around and Boaz isn’t the same either.  He becomes distant when he comes home.  Dana Reinhardt brilliantly creates a novel that shows that brotherhood will always matter, no matter how far you travel and how long you are gone.  I would give this book 4 stars.
Submitted by Kayla