D.J.'s Worst Enemy

by Robert Burch

Set in the peach country of north Georgia during the 1930s, D.J.’s Worst Enemy is the story of a twelve-year-old boy deeply at odds with himself.It seems as if D.J. Madison would prefer to make enemies than friends. His pranks have a mean-spirited edge to them, especially those he plays on his tag-along younger brother, “Skinny Little Renfroe,” and his know-it-all older sister Clara May. D.J.’s friend Nutty is content with the friendly rivalry he and D.J. have with the four Castor boys who live nearby. D.J., however, would rather fight them for real than just wrestle. But, what D.J. does and what he feels inside are two different things. He knows that times are hard enough for his family. He really wants to act better toward them--toward everyone--but is not quite sure where or how to start.

Finally, D.J. goes too far. He seriously injures Renfroe and then ruins Clara May’s chances for a coveted community honor. Rather than get even, both Renfroe and Clara May turn to their family for support. In their strength D.J. finds his own, and vows that he will no longer be his own worst enemy.

142 pages, Hardcover

First published March 29, 1965

About the author

Robert Joseph Burch (June 25, 1925 – December 25, 2007) was an American writer of 19 children's books whose readers are "usually young adolescents". Many of his stories are based on his childhood experiences in rural Georgia during the Great Depression. He was born in Fayette County, Georgia, and spent the majority of his life there.

Reviews

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

While his older sister, Clara May and younger brother, "Skinny Little Renfroe" manage to get along and work together as a team and a family, D.J. often chooses to be on the outskirts, picking fights and causing mischief with his best friend. Though his parents try to convince him repeatedly to join the family and stopping picking on his siblings, it isn't until peach picking season, when D.J.'s pranks lead to serious illness for Renfroe and major disappointment and embarrassment for Clara May, that he begins to understand he is truly his own worst enemy.

This book, though superficially similar to a book like Strawberry Girl, is actually very simplistic and almost boring by comparison. The story is message-driven, and there is never a moment where the reader is not aware that she is being taught a life lesson about the importance of family cooperation. D.J. is not a particularly believable twelve-year-old boy to begin with, and the sudden dawning of his self-awareness in the second half of the book makes him even less credible. This story clearly has one aim: to warn kids away from being like D.J. And it's hard to feel connected to a first-person narrator who is clearly just a pawn in a very special lesson.

I did like the descriptions of the peach harvest, which gave a glimpse into this very specific time and place. I just wished these details had served as more than a vehicle for the didactic storyline. It felt like most of the events of the book were random and included only as a means of forcing D.J.'s ultimate reformation.

We own this book, and I would have no problem with my kids reading it if they want to in the future, but I won't be prioritizing it as a read-aloud nor would I be especially disappointed if they decided not to read it, or said they didn't like it. I'd give it a solid three stars because the message, though lacking in subtlety, is a good one, and because the writing is decent. Still, it is mostly a forgettable book, and I wouldn't recommend bending over backwards trying to get a copy, nor am I especially interestedin the sequel, Renfroe's Christmas. I am, however, looking forward to trying some of the author's other books, especially Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain and Queenie Peavey, about both of which I have heard good things.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.