For 13 years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home his new baby brother Zan--an eight-day-old chimpanzee.
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Feb 07, 2012
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 enoug More...
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 enoug More...
Jan 17, 2012
Ο ένας, ο οποίος ονειρευότα
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Oh my lords.. At first, I honestly thought Jennifer and Ben were cute, but they are SO not! Bleck--- So, Richard, he got on my freaking nerves quite a bit, and I have to admit. I got some credit for Ben, for standing up to his father to piss him off like that. Great Job Ben!! Also for Peter too! I'm so amazed at the amount of courage Ben had-- going up for all the challenges that took between him and Zan. That is just, amazing. I wish I had a best friend like Ben Tomplin. (:
Zan, I LO More...
Zan, I LO More...
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Jan 09, 2012
Christina
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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 vivisectio
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Dec 06, 2011
Paula
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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? Wha More...
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? Wha More...
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Nov 21, 2011
Ruth
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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 so More...
Spoiler: A renowned linguist determines that Zan is only learning words and not "language." and the experiment ends. Then Zan is so More...
Aug 07, 2011
Cheryl in CC NV
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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 adul More...
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 adul More...
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Jul 26, 2011
Nicole
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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 beh
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Jul 03, 2011
Pam
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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 relationship More...
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 relationship More...
Jun 02, 2011
Yvonne
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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 universi More...
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 universi More...
May 22, 2011
Laura
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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 anim More...
My biggest complaint with this book is that anim More...
Apr 21, 2011
Tahleen
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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
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Mar 25, 2011
Michelle
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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
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Mar 10, 2011
Afton
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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
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Mar 09, 2011
Alan
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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, a More...
The book as it stands has at least one significant flaw: I searched in vain for any foreword, a More...
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Feb 19, 2011
Melody
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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 dealin More...
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 dealin More...
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Jan 27, 2011
Karen
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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
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Jan 26, 2011
Casey
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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 More...
There are many reasons why I loved this book: the science is More...
Jan 23, 2011
Jane
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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
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Jan 12, 2011
Jan
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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 exper
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Dec 13, 2010
Sarah
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Nov 07, 2010
Jenny
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The arrival of a new sibling is usually cause for joy, but not so for Ben. It means that his family has to move across country, leaving behind his friends, his school, his neighborhood. And if he wasn't already convinced that his father is weird, he certainly has no doubts now. The new baby is not a human baby but an 8-day-old chimp. Ben's father is a behavioral scientist who has moved his research to a new university where he will study whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills
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Oct 28, 2010
Matthew
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Oct 24, 2010
Lydia
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Oct 02, 2010
Nicola
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Reason for Reading: Oppel is my favourite YA author and I read every new book he publishes.
This book is something completely different from Oppel's usual fare and I must admit I was a little leery going in, hoping this wasn't going to end up being a platform for animal rights. I need not have worried; Oppel is an accomplished writer and a reader can be confident that he is going to produce a well-crafted novel that will keep one glued to one's seat.
I read this book in one sit More...
This book is something completely different from Oppel's usual fare and I must admit I was a little leery going in, hoping this wasn't going to end up being a platform for animal rights. I need not have worried; Oppel is an accomplished writer and a reader can be confident that he is going to produce a well-crafted novel that will keep one glued to one's seat.
I read this book in one sit More...
Sep 11, 2010
Jennifer
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Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Ben can't believe he is being forced into becoming part of his father's latest science experiment. Being the only son of a college professor/research scientist hasn't really bothered Ben, but things have suddenly changed. First of all, the family has moved clear across Canada, so he will be getting used to a new home, new school, and a whole new group of friends. The other big change is that he is about to bec More...
Ben can't believe he is being forced into becoming part of his father's latest science experiment. Being the only son of a college professor/research scientist hasn't really bothered Ben, but things have suddenly changed. First of all, the family has moved clear across Canada, so he will be getting used to a new home, new school, and a whole new group of friends. The other big change is that he is about to bec More...
Jan 31, 2012
Ariel
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I throughly loved and enjoyed this book very much. To be honest, I didn't expect much of it when I first borrowed it, but it ended up being so satisfying.
I was rather fixated on one of the characters, Ben's father, Richard. He reminded me a lot of my own father, whether it's in terms of his priorities, and attitude. Controlling, manipulative(?), stubborn, systematic and seems void of all emotions. He expects to have it his way, and everyone must do that, otherwise it's just conflict af More...
I was rather fixated on one of the characters, Ben's father, Richard. He reminded me a lot of my own father, whether it's in terms of his priorities, and attitude. Controlling, manipulative(?), stubborn, systematic and seems void of all emotions. He expects to have it his way, and everyone must do that, otherwise it's just conflict af More...
Jan 16, 2011
Cathy
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I really liked this story about 8th grader Ben Tomlin whose world was turned upside down when his research scientist father moved the family from Toronto to Victoria and took in a baby chimpanzee to cross foster and study his ability to learn language. After a period of being totally non-plussed,Ben began to like Zan, enjoying playing with him, teaching him to sign and being part of the research team, keeping logs on his behavior. He also became close friends with Peter, one of the graduate as
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Oct 07, 2010
Terri
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A new, fresh, exciting topic in young adult literature - animal experimentation as seen through the eyes of a male teen. Wonderful! I love it when an author gets past the tried and true, and finds something I haven't seen before to write about.
It is 1973, in Victoria, Canada. Hippies populate universities, Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" fill the airwaves, and chimps have been sent into outer space. Eighth grader, Ben Tomlin' More...
It is 1973, in Victoria, Canada. Hippies populate universities, Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" and Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" fill the airwaves, and chimps have been sent into outer space. Eighth grader, Ben Tomlin' More...
Jan 15, 2012
Giulia
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This was a really good read. Bought it for my school's library since it was nominated for the Red Maple award and right away set it aside to bring home and read. Very good read, it explores relationships and asks young readers to think about how we treat animals (and each other).
I'm very surprised to see that some reviewers didn't think Ben's character was believable. I thought Oppel did a great job in portraying a thirteen year old boy (remember Ben is fifteen by the time this book e More...
I'm very surprised to see that some reviewers didn't think Ben's character was believable. I thought Oppel did a great job in portraying a thirteen year old boy (remember Ben is fifteen by the time this book e More...
Feb 16, 2011
Gretchen
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I'll be honest, I like Kenneth Oppel much better as a fantasy mastermind than as a slightly preachy YA writer. As the cover implies, Half Brother is the story of a family that "adopts" a chimpanzee as part of a language experiment. The book is narrated by Ben, who is thirteen and figuring out his personality, social status, and hormones. He has a strained relationship with his father...(his father, by the way, is a complete tool). The story itself is interesting enough to keep you read
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