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Half Brother

by Kenneth Oppel (Goodreads Author)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 2,027 ratings · 460 reviews

For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan ? an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Za...more

Audio CD, 375 pages

Published September 1st 2010 by Brilliance Corporation

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Aug 26, 2012 Kellee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, animal-fiction, historical-fiction, ya-teen, foster-care-or-adoption, website-review-done, teach-mentor-texts, my-best-read-in-2012-not-pub-in-12

Reviewed at: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...

Ben is introduced to Zan when he is 8 days old. Zan is his new baby brother. At first Ben is resistant to loving Zan, but that changes as he gets to know him. Ben loves Zan more than anything in the world. He would do anything for him. But others, including his father, don't understand why he has such an attachment to Zan. Yes, Zan is his brother, but Zan is also a chimp. A chimp who Ben's father is researching by conducting an experiment to s...more Reviewed at: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2012/...

Ben is introduced to Zan when he is 8 days old. Zan is his new baby brother. At first Ben is resistant to loving Zan, but that changes as he gets to know him. Ben loves Zan more than anything in the world. He would do anything for him. But others, including his father, don't understand why he has such an attachment to Zan. Yes, Zan is his brother, but Zan is also a chimp. A chimp who Ben's father is researching by conducting an experiment to see if chimps can learn language. To Ben, Zan has become a member of the family, but to others, he is just a specimen.

Ever since I started teaching and I was introduced to Willie B. through a short story and Sukari in Hurt Go Happy, I have gotten a mild obsession with apes- specifically chimps, gorillas and orangutans. I have often visited the Center for Great Apes where I learned even more about the life of chimps in entertainment, testing and living with humans.

Also, in the last couple of years, I have been introduced to Kenneth Oppel through his other books- Matt Cruse series, Victor Frankenstein and Silverwing- and I have adored every word of his that I have read/listened to.

So, when Half Brother came out, I knew it was a book I had to read. But then it got pushed aside again and again. For some reason, I just never got around to it. Until my best friend listened to it and insisted it be the next audiobook I read- and I am so glad she did! Half Brother is such a touching, suspenseful, well-done, amazing story. It pulls at your heart strings throughout and makes you think about all that it means to be human.

Kenneth Oppel obviously did a lot of research for this project. Half Brother is set in the 1970s at the peak of chimp research including research for the space program, medicine and language acquisition (Project Nim & Project Washoe) and also the beginning of protest against such experiments. This book teaches you the history of this time through a fictional experiment that is not much different than the real ones.

Half Brother is an emotion-filled, thought-provoking book which brings Zan and his family to life in 1973. This book is made to be a discussion as it introduces so many tough topics and is one that I cannot wait to discuss with students. (less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-historical-fiction

After his parents moved him across the country, Ben has to get used to a new school, make new friends, and become a big brother to the newest addition to the Tomlin-- a baby chimp. Ben is not at all excited about his parents latest research project, which is teach language to this chimp. The moment his mom brought the baby home, he wanted absolutely nothing to with him because he had bigger problems to worry about--getting into an elite prep school, making new friends, and dating the cutest girl...more After his parents moved him across the country, Ben has to get used to a new school, make new friends, and become a big brother to the newest addition to the Tomlin-- a baby chimp. Ben is not at all excited about his parents latest research project, which is teach language to this chimp. The moment his mom brought the baby home, he wanted absolutely nothing to with him because he had bigger problems to worry about--getting into an elite prep school, making new friends, and dating the cutest girl he has ever met. As time goes by, Ben's reluctance to be with the chimp wanes and when he names the baby, Zan (after Tarzan), all of his hesitation and heart melts. Ben has become to center of Zan's world and the closer they get, the more the Chimp progresses. In fact, the experiment goes so well that he and his family end up in People Magazine and the become the town celebrities. Life couldn't get any better for Ben because he befriends the children of the University Dean and his social profile is solid and he is good friends with the TA that is hired to help with Zan's education. However, things take a turn for the worse when the University, and critics, start questioning the validity of the experiment that leads to a treacherous journey for both Zan and Ben.

Half Brother is an incredibly compelling story about a relationship between an animal and human. At the time of this story, the works of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey were blossoming as well as the issue of animal testing in the 1970's. Moreover, this story is also about the pursuit of scientific knowledge and what its limitations are. Amidst this historic significance, is a story about a teenager who is just trying to find his place in the world. Despite being uprooted from his home, Ben has to start all over again and that is not easy. Another issue is having is living up to his father's expectations, which lands him in a school that is way above his abilities. The thing is that Ben is a normal teen who wants to live a normal life and have a normal family. Unfortunately, Ben is the child of two brilliant scientists who are embarking on a scientific feat, which is teach language to a primate. Although chimps are able to grasp the American Sign Language (thanks to the work of Allen and Beatrix Gardner), the Tomlin's want to take this concept farther which requires them to integrate this baby into human life. I can completely understand Ben's hesitance because it's not normal to integrate a wild animal into human family. Not only is it confusing for the baby, it's difficult for the family especially when the animal tendencies come out (i.e., Zan biting off another TA's finger and fits). Although the goal of this experiment is noble (to bridge the gap between humans and primates) it is also cruel (Zan's learning chair). Ben cannot help fall in love with Zan because Zan is a part of him, which makes it hard when the University threatens to close down the project. Moreover, the more he learns about the controversy of animal testing, Ben panics and does something so incredibly dumb, but admirable, readers cannot help but cheer him on. This is a beautiful story between to beings who have nothing but unconditional love and trust between each other. (less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Christian T rated it 4 of 5 stars

Half Brother. Kenneth Oppel. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010. 375pp

...more Half Brother. Kenneth Oppel. New York: Scholastic Press, 2010. 375pp

Ben Tomlin, a thirteen year old boy, moves to a new home in Victoria where an unexpected birthday present awaits him. His scientist parents are pursuing a new research project that requires them to live with a chimpanzee. They are trying to prove that chimpanzees, like humans, are capable of communicating through American Sign Language. In order to collect the best results, Ben’s parents want to treat the chimp as a human and intend to raise him as one of their own. Ben reluctantly agrees to treat the chimp as a brother and comes up with his name, Zan. Throughout the story, Ben and his mom form a close bond with Zan while his dad is cautious about letting his emotions interfere with the research. Ben also attends a new school and meets new friends including his crush, Jennifer Godwin. Ben doesn’t know anything about girls but insists on conquering her heart; hence, he creates his own project, “Project Jennifer”. Ben has to learn how to be a brother for Zan and at the same time has to learn how to win Jennifer’s love. Both projects go well until everything comes to a turn when Zan’s project is denied an important grant. Ben’s parents can’t fund the project anymore which angers Ben; Zan is going to be taken away from the family. His research with Jennifer also begins to crumble so Ben has to deal with the stress of losing a brother and his one chance with Jennifer.

Overall, Half Brother was entertaining because the relationship between Ben and Zan was very intriguing. Zan was treated as a human and eventually he believed he was part of the family. The topic that caused the most controversy in the story was whether Zan was actually a person. According to definition, a person is a human being yet Zan showed characteristics such as happiness, sadness, and love. There was a boundary between animal and person and Zan seemed to fall in the middle.

The storyline with Zan was interesting, but the part about Ben wanting to gain Jennifer’s love was a bit of a stretch. It was a little unrealistic because Ben wrote a huge log about all the experiences he had with Jennifer. He was essentially treating her like an experiment and it gave a creepy personality to Ben because he’s just thirteen. It would have been more fitting if Ben were at least in high school.

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Jan 14, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very well written and thought provoking book. Ben's parents are both researchers and they bring in an addition to the family. It is a baby gorilla that they call "Zan". Over time, Ben becomes very close to Zan and he considers him a brother. Zan is being observed to see if he can learn language and he is treated like a human such as having him wear clothing. The research team is teaching Zan ASL (American Sign Language). On the surface, it appears like the treatment of the gorilla is...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-books

Last year I bought a book called 'The Discursive Mind', which argued that the difference between humans and animals is, essentially, the ability to communicate. In parts, it talked about the experiments done with sign language and chimps in the 70's, and the difference between speech and communication. While it was a fantastic book, and challenged me to really think, 'Half Brother' asked me to do the same kind of thinking, without the need for 'expert language', wrapped in a story that progressi...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Natalie202 rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was another amazing book by Kenneth Oppel!

In this book a 13-year old boy Ben Tomlin is an only child in a family of scientists. His father moved them to Tornto away from all of his friends to start a project, which enevolves teaching a baby chimpanzee the American Sign Language (ASL).To start off the project, Ben's family gets to have a baby chimp in the house so they can raise it as a human baby. While starting school at his new hone, Ben meets a girl his age named JEnnifer Godwin, and imm...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Brynn Emond rated it 2 of 5 stars

All right, let it be known that I am an enormous, gigantic, honking big fan of Kenneth Oppel. This Dark Endeavour and Airborn are my two favourite books, ever- books I read through fairly often for little to no reason, and books I occasionally sleep with like normal people might sleep with a teddy bear. Ridiculous perhaps? No, because it's true.
Anyways. To the point now. I didn't actually like this one. Usually Oppel's books are very engaging and interesting, but this one, I felt, never went any...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012

In the early 1970s, Ben’s parents are at the cutting edge of behavioral animal research. When Ben’s father, Dr. Richard Tomlin, gets an appointment at a university that supports his proposed project for teaching American Sign Language to a chimpanzee, he moves his wife Sarah and 14 year-old son across Canada from Toronto to Victoria. Ben is not too excited about this, nor is he thrilled when his mother brings home an 8-day-old chimpanzee that Ben sees as ugly. They name the chimp Zan (after Tarz...more In the early 1970s, Ben’s parents are at the cutting edge of behavioral animal research. When Ben’s father, Dr. Richard Tomlin, gets an appointment at a university that supports his proposed project for teaching American Sign Language to a chimpanzee, he moves his wife Sarah and 14 year-old son across Canada from Toronto to Victoria. Ben is not too excited about this, nor is he thrilled when his mother brings home an 8-day-old chimpanzee that Ben sees as ugly. They name the chimp Zan (after Tarzan). While Richard will be using graduate students to teach Zan ASL, Sarah will be raising Zan as a human child as she writes a dissertation on cross-fostering. Ben is expected to help with Zan’s care and to see the chimpanzee as his brother. His reluctance soon wears off in the face of Zan’s undeniable charm.

At first the experiments seem to go well with Zan. He masters about 65 ASL words, but there is some debate as to whether he really comprehends the language or if he is just mimicking what he sees. Ben’s father tries harsh techniques while teaching Zan, including tethering him to a highchair for hours at a time. Tensions quickly arise between the father, who sees Zan as a test subject, and the son, who believes that it is his responsibility to protect his little brother. Ben struggles with the ethical and moral issues surrounding his father’s research and worries about what will happen to Zan if the project fails.

Kenneth Oppel’s novel is incredibly well researched. He draws from real-life experiments on simian intelligence, particularly the experiments with Washoe the chimpanzee. He accurately reflects the conflicting attitudes to animal research in the 1970s. Half-Brother will definitely start conversations among young adult readers about the ethics of using animals. Oppel’s novel shows that there is not a simple solution to the problems surrounding animal test subjects. He leaves the reader to form his or her own opinions.

Half-Brother also explores the themes of family, school life and dating. Ben’s tenuous relationship with Richard is fascinating and disheartening. Ben appears to be a constant disappointment to his father. Richard is cold and thoughtless to his family through much of the novel. I was just as interested in how these family dynamics would resolve as I was with what would happen to Zan. Ben’s adjustment to a new school and his desire for the daughter of his father’s boss are equally interesting and believable.

Excellent writing, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes will keep readers engaged from start to finish. Like many of Oppel’s novels, Half-Brother will appeal to a wide audience. I highly recommend this book to grades seven and up.
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Jul 24, 2012 P.M. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I do not like chimpanzees or monkeys of any stripe. I always skipped that part of a zoo when visiting. Having said that, I loved this book about 13 - 15 year old Ben Tomlin whose parents have brought an infant chimp, Zan, into the family to study cross-fostering and language acquisition. Ben is a typical self-absorbed teenager at the beginning of the book, a typical boy who resents his parents making him move from Toronto to British Columbia. He even resents the chimp who will become their sole...more

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Jul 18, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Yet another gem I found to listen to while I drove. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I did not have high hopes going in but I figured it'd at least be more entertaining than staring at sage brush.

The story was nice and unique and kept me engaged in what was going on. I have two criticisms for the book and the first is there were some uncomfortable sexual references for being a young adult book. This story is based upon a 14-year-old boy and yet he was having the sexual exper...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Hilary rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animal-stories, grades-5-6, grades-7-8, realism

Ben is none to thrilled when his scientest parents bring home a baby chimp to see if they can teach him sign language. For 13 years Ben has been an only child and it suddenly feels like they're trying to bring in another kid who will steal all of their attention. On top of it, they are uprooting Ben and making him move from Toronto to Victoria where there is a university that will fund the experiment. Ben quickly realizes, though, that the chimp, Zan, is netting him instant popularity at his new...more

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Feb 23, 2012 Reily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Half Brother

Half Brother by Kenneth Opel is in the genre realistic fiction because it has happened in real life where someone has taken a baby chimp into thier house for an experiment. Although it probably wasn't as intresting and descriptive as Kenneth Opel's take on it.

Half Brother is about a family, Ben the son and his parents Richard and Sarah. The Tomlin's have to move from Toronto, ON to Victoria, ON because of a new science experiment they were doing about cross fostering a monkey as...more Half Brother

Half Brother by Kenneth Opel is in the genre realistic fiction because it has happened in real life where someone has taken a baby chimp into thier house for an experiment. Although it probably wasn't as intresting and descriptive as Kenneth Opel's take on it.

Half Brother is about a family, Ben the son and his parents Richard and Sarah. The Tomlin's have to move from Toronto, ON to Victoria, ON because of a new science experiment they were doing about cross fostering a monkey as a human. They raised Zan in their house wearing clothes and eating human food and learning ASL (American sign language.)Later in the book Ben and his mom became very attached to Zan. Except Richard only sees him as a test subject. He didn't love him he only wanted the grant from the university. So when they didn't get the grant and had to send Zan away to a "better" home he didn't refuse because to him it was over and he didn't need Zan anymore. But when Sarah and Ben go to visit Zan they see a letter that the ranch was going to send Zan away to an instuite that used animals in an inhumane way.

Kenneth Opel has wrote the Silver WIng series and I'm pretty sure he won an award for that but he always repeated sentences for different events until I could predict exactly what he was going to say and when. One thing he did very well is make the reader fall in love with the characters just as if you actually knew them. As he was explaining Zan and writing about him over the years I started loving him like he was my brother.

As far as what I thought of the book it was book it was very well done although I only rated it a 3. I think Half Brother is a sad but intresting book and I defintly agree that it is one of the nominees for the grade 7's age group award. What really broke my heart about this story is how the university just took Zan away from his home and his mom for an experiment that when they were done with could just get rid of him. Of course I would do the same thing as Ben and stick up for Zan because he truly loved him like a brother, a half brother.(less)

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Feb 07, 2012 Canadian Children's Book Centre added it

Reviewed by Lisa Doucet

When 13-year-old Ben and his scientist parents leave their home in Toronto to move to Victoria, British Columbia for his father’s important research project, Ben resigns himself to starting at a new school and making new friends. Typically, his father doesn’t seem interested in how Ben feels about any of this, all he can think about is his latest experiment in which he will study the possibility of teaching a chimpanzee sign language. As if the move isn’t enough to deal wi...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Christina G rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian, ya-ya-ya, tweeny-boppers

I imagine this book may have been transformative for me if I'd read it as a younger young adult - I loved animals, but I hadn't really considered animal rights, and this book (gently) forces the reader to consider the relationship between animals and humans. The story is about a 13-year-old Canadian boy whose professor parents adopt/abduct a baby chimp to raise as their own in an experiment to see whether or not chimps can learn ASL. I commend Kenneth Oppel for creating a book about vivisection...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Paula rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

This is a BIG story. Ben's not thrilled when his academic parents adopt (some might say kidnap)a newborn chimp. His father wants to see if the chimp can learn language; his mother wants to see what will happen when the chimp is raised like a human baby in a human family. And Ben's life just has to fall in line with the program.

At the heart of the novel is the question of what it means to be human -- or animal. Can a chimp be equal to a human? How should humans treat animals? What's right? What's...more

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Nov 21, 2011 Ruth rated it 4 of 5 stars

Thirteen-year-old Ben Tomlin is moved from Toronto to Vancouver with his family so that his behavioral scientist father can bring a chimpanzee into their family to see if it can learn American Sign Language. The burden of the work falls on Ben's mom and student helpers. Ben is uncomfortable at first making Zan his brother, but he comes to love him.
Spoiler: A renowned linguist determines that Zan is only learning words and not "language." and the experiment ends. Then Zan is sold. When they learn...more

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Aug 07, 2011 Cheryl in CC NV rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read about some of the ape & language research of the 70s. I hope Oppel doesn't get sued. (Read Nicole B's review for details).

If the story were just about Zan it would be compelling enough. But to add Ben is to make us see clearly what different people think it means to be human, to be intelligent, to be worthy. One thing - the book is not subtle. Otoh, it's accessible, complex, provocative and exciting. It would be good discussion fodder for a high school class or adult book club.

On...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-geek-zoology

I would read this book over Sara Gruen's "The Ape House" Any day of the week. Unlike Gruen's book, which claims to glean inspiration from notable great ape ASL research experiments, namely, Project Washoe, Project Nim, Koko the gorilla, and Kanzi, this book actually reflects many of the situations encountered while these projects were active. Many parallels are drawn between Zan and Washoe (Roger Fouts' "Next of Kin: My Conversations With Chimpanzees"), including the plan behind the cross-foster...more I would read this book over Sara Gruen's "The Ape House" Any day of the week. Unlike Gruen's book, which claims to glean inspiration from notable great ape ASL research experiments, namely, Project Washoe, Project Nim, Koko the gorilla, and Kanzi, this book actually reflects many of the situations encountered while these projects were active. Many parallels are drawn between Zan and Washoe (Roger Fouts' "Next of Kin: My Conversations With Chimpanzees"), including the plan behind the cross-fostering,and utilizing guidance to teach ASL signs. There is also a change of housing to a chimp facility run by a researcher who makes use of collars, chains, cages, and cattle prods, and Peter, who plays the role of Dr. Fouts, Washoe's friend, guardian, and protector. There are also stark similarities to Project Nim: the fact that both Nim and Zan had a confusing, revolving-door system of caregivers and ASL teachers, and that his learning was not quantified with double-blind tests, which virtually invalidated everything he had been taught. It's a well-researched book, and reads more like an actual account of a legitimate research attempt, rather than just cliched, dramatic fiction (i.e. "The Ape House").

The only distracting issue I found was with Ben, the family's 13-year old son. His instinctual behavior is consistent with that of a 13-year old, as with his thought processes. However, his actions and reasonings are more indicative of an older teenager. He doesn't act like a 13-year old, nor does he reason like one. However, he thinks and behaves like one. It's a tricky differentiation to try to explain, but I'm sure if you read the book, you'll know what I mean. And I think he picked up on the "alpha-male" stuff too readily and easily. Some cross-fostering experiments did result in family's children assimilating chimpanzee behaviors, but this kid soaks them up too readily from only one well-behaved chimpanzee who only interacted with human. He'd need to spend quite a bit of time interacting among several chimpanzees before he began to pick up on the controlling pushiness of a dominant animal.

But those details are just splitting hairs. Overall, it's a good, easy read, and it quite entertaining if you've read any of the books on other ape cross-fostering experiments of the '60s and '70s.(less)

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Jul 03, 2011 Pam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, ya

I expected to dislike this story as I was rather neutral about the premise: an eight-day-old chimp named Zan comes to live with Ben and his family as part of his parents' all-consuming research experiment. However in the hands of storyteller as talented as Oppel it becomes an interesting and engaging story.

Zan soon wins Ben over and the boy becomes the chimp's champion. Ben's relationship with his father starts off rocky and remains so for most of the book, as is most relationships between a 13...more

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Jun 02, 2011 Yvonne Powderly rated it 3 of 5 stars

How would you feel if you had a chimpanzee as a little brother?
Ben Tomlin's father moved the family to British Columbia for that very reason. Nobody had asked Ben, his Dad had accepted the new job before he told Ben anything about the move.
It was 1973. Richard Tomlin was a behavioral scientist interested in whether humans were the only animals capable of learning language. He wanted to find out if chimpanzees could learn American Sign Language. So he accepted a position at a university half wa...more

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May 22, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, bes11-12, ya-lit

Half Brother is told from the point of view of Ben, a teenager living in 1973 Canada. His scientist parents decide to adopt a chimpanzee, raise it as a child, and teach it American Sign Language. The story describes how Ben, his mother, and his father develop a relationship with Zan. When the study doesn't get funded as planned, Ben realizes how much he cares for his 'half brother' and searches for a way to keep his unusual family.

My biggest complaint with this book is that animal research is d...more

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Apr 21, 2011 Tahleen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobook, historical-fiction, science-and-nature, young-adult

After being dragged across the country from Toronto to Victoria, Canada, Ben's thirteenth birthday isn't what one might call normal. You see, the reason he was dragged across the country arrives on that day—a tiny bundle of chimp they name Zan. Ben's parents are planning to experiment and study Zan by teaching him sign language to see if species other than humans can communicate with actual language. At first Ben wants nothing to do with the experiment and Zan, but gradually, as he signs with Za...more After being dragged across the country from Toronto to Victoria, Canada, Ben's thirteenth birthday isn't what one might call normal. You see, the reason he was dragged across the country arrives on that day—a tiny bundle of chimp they name Zan. Ben's parents are planning to experiment and study Zan by teaching him sign language to see if species other than humans can communicate with actual language. At first Ben wants nothing to do with the experiment and Zan, but gradually, as he signs with Zan, he begins to love him as he would an actual brother,—even if Ben's behavioral psychologist father sees Zan as only an experiment. But what will happen to Zan once the experiment ends?

I enjoyed this story. Ben really grows attached to Zan, loves him like a real brother, and it's truly touching to see what lengths Ben goes to in order to protect his little brother. Oppel also brings the serious issues of animal rights and ethical practices in working with animals to the table. This takes place in the 1970s, so there aren't as many concerns in Ben's or his parents' minds, or in the university's that funds the project, as there might be in today's world.

The secondary characters made the book for me. I loved Peter—a hippie-like dude who takes care of Zan in the best ways possible, and who can talk to Ben like an equal. Peter becomes a big ally for Ben, and a champion for getting what's best for Zan. It was also interesting to follow the relationship dynamics between Ben and both his parents. His dad tends to be jerkish and cold, but his mother is kind and gentle with both Ben and Zan, to the best of her ability.

I thought the whole Project Jennifer sideplot was hilarious. Ben has this huge crush on Jennifer, the daughter of his dad's boss, and so (in true scientist fashion) keeps a notebook he labels "Project Jennifer" and takes notes on her likes, dislikes, things he might say to her, etc.

I couldn't figure out it was taking place in the 1970s right away. It took me until after the first CD (or somewhere around there) to figure it out, from some sort of reference to the time. The beginning would have made a lot more sense to me had I known this from the start, since I was bothered by the fact that Ben's parents were just given a chimp like they were. I felt like no one thought about the potential dangers Zan would pose to his caretakers once he wasn't a baby anymore.

As for the audio, it wasn't that great. I felt like it was sloppily produced. It was clear at points that the actor had stopped recording one part and continued later, with a distinct vocal difference. At times it sounded like a different person talking, the difference was so pronounced. I didn't think di Tomasso put much emotion into the performance, and it fell flat as a result.

If the premise intrigues you, I would pick up a copy of Half Brother and read it; skip the audio version.

Disclosure: I got the audio version of this from my local library.(less)

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Mar 25, 2011 Michelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book I picked up for my son. He was unhappy with his personal choice book and wanted to switch, so off to the library we went. While I normally go right for the Newberry prize winners, the cover caught my eye and I read the blurb. There was no going back from there and it took me a few minutes to convince my son this was the one he wanted to read. He wandered around and looked at Zen and the Art of Faking it, and then After Ever After, but they looked like the reading lexile...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Afton Nelson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile

I chose to read this book because I've enjoyed other books by Kenneth Oppel. By coincidence, I'd just heard the NPR "This American Life" podcast about Dr. and Mrs. Temrelin who "adopted" Lucy, a chimpanzee, and raised her as their own daughter--a story which did not have a happy ending. I also had recently listened to the NPR "Stuff You Should Know" podcast about How Face Transplants work and the several incidents of chimps raised in homes who suddenly turn violent and--well, the title of the po...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Young minds with an interest in animal intelligence and animal rights

Recommended to Alan by: Olivia

Drawing liberally on real-life research into simian intelligence and language acquisition, this fictionalized take on Washoe the chimpanzee's life may be targeted at adolescent readers, perhaps, but it's a quick and enjoyable read for anyone who, say, likes Robert Sawyer but wants something lighter. I finished it in a single day, though it took me awhile longer to decide what to say about it.

The book as it stands has at least one significant flaw: I searched in vain for any foreword, afterword,...more Drawing liberally on real-life research into simian intelligence and language acquisition, this fictionalized take on Washoe the chimpanzee's life may be targeted at adolescent readers, perhaps, but it's a quick and enjoyable read for anyone who, say, likes Robert Sawyer but wants something lighter. I finished it in a single day, though it took me awhile longer to decide what to say about it.

The book as it stands has at least one significant flaw: I searched in vain for any foreword, afterword, bibliographic reference or even dust jacket footnote acknowledging the source for so much of the narrative, or pointing interested readers to further information. Kenneth Oppel himself is quite open about the origins of this story, so I think it must just have been a missed opportunity on Scholastic Press's part (at least for this edition; other editions may have corrected this issue). Any way you look at it, though, it's a real shame that Half Brother could not give its audience more of a clue about its story's historical basis.

Ben Tomlin is our 13-year-old narrator for Half Brother. Ben's father Richard is a Canadian behavioral psychologist, an aloof and intensely dedicated scientist (possibly fairly far along on the spectrum of autistic behavior himself), who takes his family from Toronto to Victoria, British Columbia, in order to pursue grant money for his grand project: adopting a chimpanzee—here called Zan—and raising it in a human environment, to see whether it can learn American Sign Language (ASL).

Ben's a good choice for a viewpoint character, even if this book were not targeted specifically to kids his age. His inexperience explains, for example, why the book starts out with no hint of reflection about the ethics of proving simian intelligence by abducting a baby chimp from its mother to raise it with a human family.

Ethical considerations definitely come in later, though, as Zan's integration into the Tomlin family proceeds and the project attracts various kinds of media attention. Ben falls for the little guy pretty quickly, and soon comes to consider him as a full-fledged family member. His mother, a researcher in her own right, also finds Zan easy to treat in motherly ways. Dr. Richard Tomlin, though, never seems to see Zan as anything but an experimental subject. This conflict provides much of the tension, especially when a couple of setbacks lead to the project being cancelled altogether. How the Tomlins deal with the loss of Zan to a rather more old-fashioned animal center in Nevada drives the rest of the novel.

I first thought that Half Brother had a whiff of the "trunk novel" about it... Ben has phonograph records and a photographic darkroom, but no cellphone and no computer, for example, and his mother is a 34-year-old who dresses in bell bottoms and Native American jewelry. That's just because the novel is set explicitly in 1973, though, as becomes clear later on. As Oppel mentions in the above-linked talk about the book, he didn't start writing it until after Washoe's death in 2007.

The bottom line on this one: it's probably not going to have the impact that Peter Singer's Animal Liberation did back in 1975, but then it's not intended for the same audience. I think Half Brother is a good conversation-starter about animal research for younger readers—as long as you keep some supplemental material on-hand to flesh it out.(less)

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Feb 19, 2011 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had this book out from the library for months before I could bring myself to crack it open. It seemed so fraught with peril, and I was afraid of it.

It's the story of a young man, the son of scientists, who gets inextricably involved with his parents' experiment around teaching a baby chimp ASL while raising him as a human, or as near enough to a human as to make no difference. It's also the story of a young man falling in love for the first time, and adjusting to school, and dealing with a wel...more

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Jan 27, 2011 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animal-stories, science-fiction, favorites

Teenage Ben must adjust to having a new baby brother - made all the more challenging because his family has just moved to a new city and the "baby" is a chimpanzee. It's the 1970's, Ben's parents are both scientists and his father is conducting a high-profile experiment to see if chimps can learn sign language. Ben's mom is studying "cross-fostering" of species, so the plan is to have baby Zan live with the family and be treated as a human. This intriguing and poignant story tells of the powerfu...more

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Jan 26, 2011 Casey rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book will stick with me for a long time! The story follows Ben, a Canadian teenager who is the son of two behavioral scientists. His parents want to prove that animals can learn language, and as a family they "adopt" a baby chimpanzee named Zan. Ben is told to treat Zan as his baby brother, and although Ben at first resents Zan's intrusion into his life, their relationship slowly builds into something special.

There are many reasons why I loved this book: the science is interesting, the sto...more

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Jan 23, 2011 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Gr 7-11–Thirteen-year-old Ben Tomlin's whole world is changing. His parents, research scientists, have moved them across Canada to be with their newest subject, Zan. Intending to prove that chimpanzees are capable of intelligent thought and communication, the Tomlins teach the baby chimp sign language and incorporate him into their daily lives. Thrust into a new school and, essentially, a new family, Ben is caught in a whirl of new emotions, especially when the lovely Jennifer comes onto the sce...more

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Jan 12, 2011 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks, contemporary

Summary: Ben Tomlin’s parents are scientists who bring home a baby chimp as part of a study on whether chimps can acquire language skills. Ben grows to love his new chimp “baby brother,” named Zan and participates in the study, helping Zan learn sign language. But a series of mishaps ends the study and Zan is sold by the university to a new owner, who has much less ethical regard for how Zan is treated. Even worse, this owner decides to sell Zan to a laboratory that is known for animal experimen...more

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About Kenneth Oppel

I was born in 1967 in Port Alberni, a mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia but spent the bulk of my childhood in Victoria, B.C. and on the opposite coast, in Halifax, Nova Scotia...At around twelve I decided I wanted to be a writer (this came after deciding I wanted to be a scientist, and then an architect). I started out writing sci-fi epics (my Star Wars phase) then went on to swords...more

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“I turned around and headed back to the stairwell, planning to go downstairs and buy a chocolate bar from the vending machine. Maybe it would fall on me and end my misery.” — 4 people liked it

“The world should have been in Technicolour, but seemed more like black and white.” — 3 people liked it

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