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Ethan, Suspended
After getting in trouble at his previous school in Pennsylvania, thirteen-year-old Ethan Oppenheimer is sent to live with his grandparents in urban Washington, D.C. where he becomes the only white, jewish student in a school of African-Americans and Hispanics.
266 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
March 26, 2016
A book that basically goes nowhere. There is evidently supposed to be some connection between the civil rights movement that his grandparents lived through, and Ethan's experience, but the author seems to have forgotten what it was half way through the book. Not very realistic and not much happens.
From Amazon:
This debut YA novel takes the classic fish-out-water setup and applies it to a good Jewish kid from suburban Philadelphia. After getting into some minor trouble with friends, Ethan Oppenheimer is suspended from school. His timing is bad though -- his parents are in the midst of a separation, his mother can't cope with anything, and so she dumps him with his grandparents in Washington, D.C. The real kicker is that it's not just for the holiday break... Unbeknownst to him, Ethan is supposed to finish the school year at a public high school in D.C. where he'd be the only white kid!
This setup (more or less the opposite of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air") allows the story to explore plenty of social and political issues from the perspective of a middle-class white kid (ie. pretty much the target audience for most YA fiction). Ethan is confronted for the first time with issues of race (both the experience of being a minority, and the tensions between his black and Latino classmates), class (the relative poverty of his classmates, and the spendthriftiness of his grandparents), friendship (none of his friends from back home try to reach him, and figuring out how to make friends in DC is tough) and family (his sense of isolation from his sister who's in college, his dad who never calls, and his mother who calls seemingly against her will). These issues arise organically out of the story and never feel contrived, which is quite an accomplishment.
The book has a few minor flaws, for example one reason for Ethan's feeling of isolation is lack of internet access, however that could have been easily resolved by a trip to any public library, something Ethan would definitely had known. A subplot involving Washington's history during the civil rights era and Ethan's family doesn't lead to much of anything. And I felt that Ethan's experience as being the only white kid in a D.C. public school was probably much easier than it would be in reality. But these are relatively minor quibbles about a book that would be excellent for a teen or middle-school book/discussion group.
From Amazon:
This debut YA novel takes the classic fish-out-water setup and applies it to a good Jewish kid from suburban Philadelphia. After getting into some minor trouble with friends, Ethan Oppenheimer is suspended from school. His timing is bad though -- his parents are in the midst of a separation, his mother can't cope with anything, and so she dumps him with his grandparents in Washington, D.C. The real kicker is that it's not just for the holiday break... Unbeknownst to him, Ethan is supposed to finish the school year at a public high school in D.C. where he'd be the only white kid!
This setup (more or less the opposite of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air") allows the story to explore plenty of social and political issues from the perspective of a middle-class white kid (ie. pretty much the target audience for most YA fiction). Ethan is confronted for the first time with issues of race (both the experience of being a minority, and the tensions between his black and Latino classmates), class (the relative poverty of his classmates, and the spendthriftiness of his grandparents), friendship (none of his friends from back home try to reach him, and figuring out how to make friends in DC is tough) and family (his sense of isolation from his sister who's in college, his dad who never calls, and his mother who calls seemingly against her will). These issues arise organically out of the story and never feel contrived, which is quite an accomplishment.
The book has a few minor flaws, for example one reason for Ethan's feeling of isolation is lack of internet access, however that could have been easily resolved by a trip to any public library, something Ethan would definitely had known. A subplot involving Washington's history during the civil rights era and Ethan's family doesn't lead to much of anything. And I felt that Ethan's experience as being the only white kid in a D.C. public school was probably much easier than it would be in reality. But these are relatively minor quibbles about a book that would be excellent for a teen or middle-school book/discussion group.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2010
Ethan is a normal middle schooler from a well-to-do Philadelphia suburb. One of his pranks injures a fellow student and Ethan is suspended from school. His suspension comes amid a family crisis (his parents are getting a divorce)and to mitigate their problems, his Mom ships Ethan off to Washington D.C. to live with his grandparents for a while. Life becomes very different for Ethan. His grandparents live in a predominantly black section of D.C. and he becomes the odd kid at school. He is enrolled at a local junior high with all of the stereotyped urban problems you see on television. Did I mention his grandparents are Jewish? Ethan perseveres and even grows to like his new surroundings. A very good lesson/story in coping with family stressors, getting in touch with the extended family (grandparents) and how to survive in a new environment that he was only familiar with through the media. Not everything he had heard was true. You can really enjoy the sotry as Ethan does a little growing up right in front of the reader.
October 21, 2010
This is a good book. Emphasis on good, not great. Its about a boy who gets suspended from school and goes to live with his grandparents. The main character's name is Ethan. He is a teenager who is used to living a rich and spoiled lifestyle but learns that not everyone is as fortunate as he is. He makes friends and learns a lot of lessons...how cliche. There is a reason this is in the genre of realistic fiction. Its realistic enough to give kids an idea that everyone has problems, but its kind of TO realistic. The events in this book are normal problems that are usually very uneventful, and end up resolving themselves. The book takes place in Washington D.C. and talks about the riots of the 1960 's. I found this subject to be interesting but very vague. In all seriousness, this book is entertaining. Its full of valuable lessons that are important for kids to know, but sadly they are presented in a way in which can be very hard to uncover. The final product is a book that has a lot of greatness, but the uneventful plot makes it somewhat of a bore to read.
December 10, 2011
Ethan, Suspended is a book about a boy who has trouble with school and also some problems with his parents. Ethan, after he is suspended, is sent to Washington D.C to live with his grandparents. He then finds he is staying there for more then a week (that is how long he was suspended). Ethan now has to go to school with people that aren't like him at all. At Ethan's new school, he struggles to find friends and the two things that make him happy are his sister's letters he gets and the new instrement he plays, the oboe. Read the book to find out what will happen.
December 28, 2018
This debut YA novel takes the classic fish-out-water setup and applies it to a good Jewish kid from suburban Philadelphia. After getting into some minor trouble with friends, Ethan Oppenheimer is suspended from school. His timing is bad though -- his parents are in the midst of a separation, his mother can't cope with anything, and so she dumps him with his grandparents in Washington, D.C. The real kicker is that it's not just for the holiday break... Unbeknownst to him, Ethan is supposed to finish the school year at a public high school in D.C. where he'd be the only white kid!
This setup (more or less the opposite of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air") allows the story to explore plenty of social and political issues from the perspective of a middle-class white kid (ie. pretty much the target audience for most YA fiction). Ethan is confronted for the first time with issues of race (both the experience of being a minority, and the tensions between his black and Latino classmates), class (the relative poverty of his classmates, and the spendthriftiness of his grandparents), friendship (none of his friends from back home try to reach him, and figuring out how to make friends in DC is tough) and family (his sense of isolation from his sister who's in college, his dad who never calls, and his mother who calls seemingly against her will). These issues arise organically out of the story and never feel contrived, which is quite an accomplishment.
The book has a few minor flaws, for example one reason for Ethan's feeling of isolation is lack of internet access, however that could have been easily resolved by a trip to any public library, something Ethan would definitely had known. A subplot involving Washington's history during the civil rights era and Ethan's family doesn't lead to much of anything. And I felt that Ethan's experience as being the only white kid in a D.C. public school was probably much easier than it would be in reality. But these are relatively minor quibbles about a book that would be excellent for a teen or middle-school book/discussion group.
In general, the book feels wholly authentic, probably because the author taught in a junior high school in Washington, D.C. and has parents not unlike Ethan's grandparents! It's also to be commended for avoiding the kind of neat, tidy ending common to YA novels. Readers will face a little ambiguity at the end and not everything is spelled out, which might be frustrating to some, but feels true to life. Some answers can be found in "Ethan's" MySpace page where he blogs about what happens after the book ends...
This setup (more or less the opposite of "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air") allows the story to explore plenty of social and political issues from the perspective of a middle-class white kid (ie. pretty much the target audience for most YA fiction). Ethan is confronted for the first time with issues of race (both the experience of being a minority, and the tensions between his black and Latino classmates), class (the relative poverty of his classmates, and the spendthriftiness of his grandparents), friendship (none of his friends from back home try to reach him, and figuring out how to make friends in DC is tough) and family (his sense of isolation from his sister who's in college, his dad who never calls, and his mother who calls seemingly against her will). These issues arise organically out of the story and never feel contrived, which is quite an accomplishment.
The book has a few minor flaws, for example one reason for Ethan's feeling of isolation is lack of internet access, however that could have been easily resolved by a trip to any public library, something Ethan would definitely had known. A subplot involving Washington's history during the civil rights era and Ethan's family doesn't lead to much of anything. And I felt that Ethan's experience as being the only white kid in a D.C. public school was probably much easier than it would be in reality. But these are relatively minor quibbles about a book that would be excellent for a teen or middle-school book/discussion group.
In general, the book feels wholly authentic, probably because the author taught in a junior high school in Washington, D.C. and has parents not unlike Ethan's grandparents! It's also to be commended for avoiding the kind of neat, tidy ending common to YA novels. Readers will face a little ambiguity at the end and not everything is spelled out, which might be frustrating to some, but feels true to life. Some answers can be found in "Ethan's" MySpace page where he blogs about what happens after the book ends...
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August 22, 2022Work read. Would recommend for middle school readers, though there are some tough themes. Takes place in DC.
February 23, 2012
When the book opens and we first meet the star of Ehrenberg’s young adult novel, seventh-grader Ethan Oppenheimer, he has just been uprooted from his comfortable existence in a white, middle-class suburban community and plunked down in the urban Washington D.C. home of his astronomically uncool grandparents. Unbeknownst to him (he thinks he’s just there for a week or so), Ethan is about to spend a semester as the only white kid in an almost entirely black and Hispanic middle school.
Ehrenberg’s story is grounded in a very specific, concrete set of details and experiences. Yet despite her full-color, high-resolution portrait of a very specific set of circumstances, I found book’s themes are astoundingly universal.
After all, who doesn’t know what it is to feel out of place in a new environment — to feel like “the whole school was watching, waiting for me to do something stupid”? Who doesn’t know what it is to feel like life is unraveling before your eyes even as you are completely helpless to do anything about it?
And who doesn’t learn (in time) that difficulties and adversities are conquered not by Hollywood-esque moments of triumph or by hasty retreats but, rather, by living each day as it comes — and by learning to embrace the people and circumstances that life scatters along the way?
Ehrenberg’s story is grounded in a very specific, concrete set of details and experiences. Yet despite her full-color, high-resolution portrait of a very specific set of circumstances, I found book’s themes are astoundingly universal.
After all, who doesn’t know what it is to feel out of place in a new environment — to feel like “the whole school was watching, waiting for me to do something stupid”? Who doesn’t know what it is to feel like life is unraveling before your eyes even as you are completely helpless to do anything about it?
And who doesn’t learn (in time) that difficulties and adversities are conquered not by Hollywood-esque moments of triumph or by hasty retreats but, rather, by living each day as it comes — and by learning to embrace the people and circumstances that life scatters along the way?
February 13, 2017
In the book Ethan,Suspended the main character is forced to go live with his grandparents because his parents are too busy and recently got divorced. His father went to go work far away and will only visit on vacations. Ethan is making new friends and is angry that he cannot see his parents. Ethan has to find a way to get through the school year and see his parents again.
September 23, 2008
When Ethan Oppenheimer is suspended from his comfortable suburban school for bullying another child, he finds himself also suspended from life as he has known it. Ethan is packed off to live with his grandparents in Washington, D.C., and he must figure out how to survive and thrive as the outsider, a white, Jewish kid in a predominantly Black and Latino middle school, where class, gangs, race and ethnicity rule. Add to that, Ethan’s parents’ divorce and feeling abandoned by his friends and you have a coming-of-age story that grapples with interesting social terrain. Ehrenberg creates a likeable cast of characters whose fate you care about, though each suffers to some degree from the two-dimensionality incurred when characters represent social groups and issues rather than develop as individuals. More disappointing are the lack of a strong voice in the novel and Ethan’s naiveté, though Ehrenberg’s overly tidy resolution may be suitable for the novel’s intended middle school audience.
May 1, 2009
Ethan has been marooned at his grandparents house for supposedly two weeks because he has gotten into some trouble at school. At his grandparents, we are treated to old people soft food, coupon cutting and wearing a uniform to an urban school. all of which Ethan hates. While Ethan tries to get acclimated, his walks to school everday with the 2 Taylor boys next door. Felix is talkative while his older brother Daron, doesn't say much. Ethan has to do a history project that gets him involved with a nice girl, Sharita and the 1968 riots during the time his mom lived there. Ethan also gets in trouble for warning a friend that he might get jumped. This backfires and Daron gets beat up and the Taylors end up moving. It is only through caring about Sharita, playing a concert for those in need and confronting what he did in PA to get him suspended and exiled to DC, that Ethan really begins to see things for the first time and enjoy his new life and what his future will hold.
November 23, 2009
I am always entertained by books that have a local setting and this one was no different. After being suspended from his suburban Philidelphia school, Ethan is sent to live with his Grandparents is DC. There he attends their neighborhood public school where he is the only white kid. There are lots of other stories going on here too. . . his parents are divorcing, his sister is off at college, his grandparents are low-tech and set in their ways, he has a crush on a girl who he is pretty sure his friends back home would make fun of, his DC neighbor is getting into trouble with gangs. . . and probably a couple I forgot. . .
June 20, 2010
I liked this book because it was written in the form that jordan sonnenblick's books are written. Only thing i have about this is the ending- it ended with the story hanging, like the what-will-happen-next kind of thing, only it just didn't work for me. Not a lot of things are figured out, like Ethan wants to stay with his grandparents and yet he still goes home. And then there's Diego, who gets suspended only before Ethan finds out, he wants to help Diego learn an instrument. A lot of things i wanted to resolute just still seemed to be problems.
August 10, 2007
I was surprised at how much I liked this book. It's the story of a high school kid who ends up living with his grandparents in urban Washington D.C. while some things are being sorted at home in suburban Pennsylvania. The characters all rang true, and unlike so many YA reads, they actually sounded like kids, and kids I wouldn't mind knowing.
I felt like the ending petered out a little, but it still felt true.
I felt like the ending petered out a little, but it still felt true.
January 20, 2019
A touching YA book that puts a fresh spin on topics like peer pressure and divorce and gives an honest (and suitably naive) twenty-first century kid's-eye view of drugs, gangs, racism, and civil rights. After getting suspended from school in the suburbs, Ethan Oppenheimer is sent to live with his grandparents in inner-city D.C. The only white (and Jewish) kid in school, he struggles to find friends but finds solace in the jazz band and an organization called Hungry for Music.
March 5, 2016
After Ethan gets in trouble at school he's sent to D.C. to live with his grandparents. He has to adjust from living in the suburbs to inner city living in a bad neighborhood at a school that doesn't have any money as well as living with his elderly grandparents who eat dinner at 4:30 and don't use computers, etc. On top of that, his parents are getting a divorce and no one will tell him what's going on.
June 2, 2015
Wanted it to be better because it's realistic fiction set in DC, but the characters felt like an adult's version of middle school kids and the focus on race issues from the main character's white outsider perspective was uncomfortable at best, especially because the book was designed to be semi-preachy about tolerance
January 14, 2009
The portrayal of urban life did not ring true to me for the most part. I know analogues of the characters from my own neighborhood, and it's just not how things work. The exception would be the music teacher and the experiences surrounding that.
Not recommended.
Not recommended.
June 4, 2020
This YA novel offers a fresh way to look at race relations. It takes place in DC, through the eyes of a kid whose parents are divorcing. I thought the book was 5 star material, except that the ending was not entirely satisfying. Still, a worthy read.
July 23, 2008
It's the story of boy who moves to DC to live w/ his grandparents and realizes that people are still not treated equally.
December 2, 2008
Read for work- great book for kids (about 6th grade reading level), but good for adults too. Takes place in DC :)
January 4, 2009
It talked about passive involvement, passive existence, the importance of music, class differences, and more. I miss this book already.
December 31, 2009
The characterizations are wonderful in this book. Ethan is a thoughtful fourteen year old trying to figure out his mistakes and his family in this touching and humorous look at teenage life.
February 15, 2010
It wasn't really bad, but not what I excpected
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews