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Summary
Summary
Eighth grade is set to be a good year for Diggy Lawson: He's chosen a great calf to compete at the Minnesota State Fair, he'll see a lot of July, the girl he secretly likes at 4-H, and he and his dad Pop have big plans for April Fool's Day. But everything changes when classmate Wayne Graf's mother dies, which brings to light the secret that Pop is Wayne's father, too. Suddenly, Diggy has a half brother, who moves in and messes up his life. Wayne threatens Diggy's chances at the State Fair, horns in on his girl, and rattles his easy relationship with Pop.
What started out great quickly turns into the worst year ever, filled with jealousy, fighting, and several incidents involving cow poop. But as the boys care for their steers, pull pranks, and watch too many B movies, they learn what it means to be brothers and change their concept of family as they slowly steer toward a new kind of normal.
Praise for Steering Toward Normal
"First-time author Petruck's account of country life is never dull as she depicts the strong work ethic of cattlemen and women, along with the universal conflicts between siblings."
--Publishers Weekly
"The plot is full of pranks and humorous situations but at its heart, it is a story about navigating the complicated and sometimes unexpected dynamics that come with being part of a family. Petruck captures the setting of rural Minnesota well, creating a small town where it seems like nearly everyone is related or at the very least always knows everyone else's business."
--VOYA Magazine
"In Petruck's capable hands, raising a steer - caring for it, loving it, and eventually letting it go - becomes a keen metaphor for the loss of a loved one. Diggy is a perceptive narrator, but not unusually so for his age, and it's reassuring to see him sort out his tangled feelings."
--Booklist
Author Notes
Rebecca Petruck worked at Condé Nast in marketing before returning to school to earn an MFA in creative writing. She lives in Creston, North Carolina.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-8-A rural small town in Minnesota creates a backdrop for a realistic story focused on relationships and emotions. Diggy Lawson finds out that he has a half brother when his classmate Wayne is dropped off at his house following the death of Wayne's mother and he learns that they share a father. Amidst anger, confusion, grief, competiveness, and even some amusing pranks, Diggy and Wayne both end up raising steers with support from 4-H to enter into the fair. Diggy's anger and confusion seem quite typical for an eighth grader, but his vacillating struggle with these feelings doesn't seem to follow a recognizable path toward growth and reconciliation. The effect is that readers are swept up in Diggy's confusion rather than identifying with it from the role of a sympathetic spectator. Additionally, the plot arc seems flat, as Diggy's emotions seem to reset every couple months. Readers unfamiliar with the routines and sensations of caring for livestock may have difficulty becoming engaged in the overall narrative.While this book fits in a mostly empty niche market for stories about 4-H, it may not be worth purchasing for other communities.-Erin Reilly-Sanders, Ohio State University, Columbus (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Despite his bucolic surroundings, eighth-grade 4-H member Diggy Lawson is anything but tranquil. First, there's the pressure to please his crush July Johnston, a high school senior and champion cattlewoman, by winning a grand prize at the Minnesota State Fair. Then Diggy's classmate Wayne shows up at the doorstep and turns out to be Diggy's stepbrother. After Wayne moves in with Diggy and his single father, the boys compete to see who can raise the better steer while vying for their father's affection. Diggy is jealous of July's attention to Wayne and wonders if his stepbrother will stand in his way of winning a ribbon at the fair. And why is Wayne so anxious to locate Diggy's mother, who "left town on a tractor" when Diggy was a baby? First-time author Petruck's account of country life is never dull as she depicts the strong work ethic of cattlemen and women, along with the universal conflicts between siblings. If Diggy's father takes the discovery of a second son a little too well, he remains a stable force effectively contrasting his temperamental sons. Ages 9-13. Agent: Kate Schafer Testerman, kt literary. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Diggy Lawson has high hopes for eighth grade, including plans to win Grand Champion at the State Fair with his calf, Joker. Then it's revealed that Diggy's classmate Wayne is actually his half-brother, upending Diggy's family and their community. Petruck handles her characters with a balanced mix of humor and heart, allowing them to emerge as real boys with complicated emotions. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Eighth-grader Diggy wants to raise a champion steer and win the grand prize at the Minnesota State Fair, thereby impressing his crush graduating senior and last year's grand champion July. Raising a calf requires hard work and sacrifice, but with Pop's support, Diggy is ready to put in the hours. His careful routine is unsettled when Wayne, a town boy, is dumped at their farm late one night by his drunken father. Wayne's mother has recently died, bringing to light an infidelity that shocks the whole town: Pop is Wayne's biological father. Suddenly Diggy has a half brother competing for Pop's attention, attending Diggy's 4H meetings, and asking questions about Diggy's own absent mother. When Wayne decides he is going to raise a steer, too, Diggy has had it. In Petruck's capable hands, raising a steer caring for it, loving it, and eventually letting it go becomes a keen metaphor for the loss of a loved one. Diggy is a perceptive narrator, but not unusually so for his age, and it's reassuring to see him sort out his tangled feelings.--Hutley, Krista Copyright 2010 Booklist
