A Space for Me

Review
By School Library Journal

Alex needs a break from his younger brother Lucas, with whom he shares a room. The masking tape line down the middle of the bedroom floor hasn’t worked in keeping Lucas out of his personal space, so Alex comes up with another idea. Using household items including a lawn chair and towel, he makes a personal fort in the backyard. Text and illustrations work well together and convey how complicated sibling relationships can be. Since Alex has his fort, Lucas has the whole room to play in. But this creates another problem. Lucas looks crestfallen with this solution. Text reads, “I leave my quiet space and go to our room. ‘Lucas, why are you sad? You have our whole room for yourself,’ I say.” Illustrations perfectly convey the mood of Lucas who misses his brother. Alex helps Lucas create his own fort out of a cardboard box. This engaging story encourages teamwork and creative problem-solving. VERDICT Highly recommended for library collections. The theme will resonate with siblings who share rooms and offers a practical solution to get one’s own space, when a separate room isn’t an option.