Out of Order

by Betty Hicks

"We'll have fun," Mom pleaded. "You've always wanted a brother--" "A younger brother," said Parker. "I wanted a younger brother." "But Eric is great. He'll-" "You don't get it, Mom. I've always been the youngest. Now I'm going to be even younger!"

Before her mom remarried, Lily was the eldest; now she has dropped to second from the bottom. Her 13-year-old stepsister, V, is brilliant, popular, and seriously beautiful, but "lately she's been toxic waste." That, however, is only Lily's viewpoint. Hicks tells her uproarious story in fast, alternating narratives from the four stepsiblings, who suddenly find themselves together in a blended family. Along with all the jealousy and hurt, they still have fun, as when they hold a rock-paper-scissors competition for a neighborhood fund-raiser. There's also a little puzzle. Who has destroyed the tomatoes that V has been growing to raise money to send soccer balls to kids in Iraq? Without heavy message, the switching viewpoints make readers privy to the family secrets and the lies, as the combination of farce and tenderness in daily life brings home both the struggle and the fun.― Booklist

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Family, Fiction, Humor, Young Adult, Contemporary

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Betty Hicks has drawn on her experience and love for sports in Gym Shorts, her new series for seven to ten year-olds. Growing up, Betty enjoyed everything: basketball, swimming, softball, horseback riding, field hockey, ice skating, tennis, skiing, and more. As an adult, she’s an avid fan of college basketball and the Olympic Games, and, an average fan of just about everything else you can think of.

In Gym Shorts, Betty welcomed the opportunity to provide younger readers with books about different types of athletics—basketball, soccer, swimming, baseball, track, tennis—you name it! But she especially wanted to write books that weren’t just about the wins and losses on game day. Friendships, fears, school, parents, pets, homework—all the things that weave their way into the lives of kids who play sports—are a crucial part of every story.

Betty has also put her own single and stepparent experiences to good use in five additional books for eight to twelve year-olds. Depicting funny, true-to-life family situations, Betty brings laughter and meaning to the experiences of growing up, not just in a divorced family, but in any family.

Betty has a BA in English and an MFA in the Study and Writing of Children’s Literature from Hollins University. She has published stories in Highlights and Pockets magazines, is a member of The Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and has worked as a book reviewer for Children’s Literature.

She and her husband, Bill, live in Greensboro, North Carolina. She spends much of her non-writing time reading, traveling, playing golf, and pursuing her photography hobby. But her number one favorite pastime is hanging out with her five grandchildren. Not only do they bring her joy, they unknowingly give her exciting subjects and plots for every new book!

Reviews

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I know I should help out with our family crisis. Lily and V hate each other. Dad and mary beth are big-time stressed about it. Even Mud Boy is acting psycho.
Dostoevsky would figure them all out in a heartbeat.
I'd rather read." Eric, p.63.
I too would rather read, however Eric and the rest of the family rise to the occasion to try to figure out some order in all the disorder.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great concept - how the blended family messes with the birth order psychology of behavior. I loved the RPS challenges. I was suprprised at how big that game is.

[Erin]

This book was different. I enjoyed it. There were many perspectives throughout reading this. Each chapter showed a different sibling and how they felt about the others. I enjoyed knowing things that the other siblings did not know about each other. There were a few mysteries along the way. Like who ruined Lily's one and only sunflower? And who destroyed V's tomato plants? V was going to sell those tomato plants to buy soccer balls for kids in Iraq. To raise money, her neighborhood has a Rock-Paper-Scissors tournament. The book is about a family learning to get along and live together.
Like I had said before, there are many perspectives in this book. Each chapter shows the point of view of a different sibling. These siblings don't always get along, which makes these perspectives conflict. For example, in Lily's point of view, V is not the best sister. However, in V's perspective, Lily is annoying and that causes her to be mean. Whenever Lily's sunflower was killed, she immediately thought it was V that did it, but when V was speaking, she swore it wasn't her. Also, when V's tomato plants were ruined, she thought it was Lily. This shows that Lily sees things one way and V sees them another way.
These perspectives caused a lot of conflict. It made Lily and V mad at each other because each of them thought the other way lying. It also caused humor to the reader. The arguing made it funny to read because it reminded me of me and my sisters. We always argue but in the end we love each other and have fun together, just like Lily and V do. It also caused some suspense. You never know if one or the other actually destroyed the others plants or not, or whether they would confess to doing so.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I enjoyed seeing how the other siblings view one another and how their actions effected one another. If one sibling did or said something, it would look different in the next chapter, considering each chapter was a different person. At some points it could get confusing, due to the fact that each chapter was narrated by a different sibling. I would not recommend it to everyone for this reason, but it was definitely worth reading and I would enjoy reading it again.

[Ennika A]

Out of Order, by Betty Hicks, is a book about a step-family, that explains the different emotions on becoming a family. V, was the eldest and was always the eldest even before there parents got married. She was gorgeous, popular, and intellegent, but this was the definition that Lily gave us (Lily was the 2nd to oldest, and was different than V). In the story, V and her step-sister will not get along quite nicely. Eric, the second eldest sibling, was related to V, and was smart. He loved to read, and was getting along better with his step-siblings than V was. Parker, the youngest sibling was the most anti-caring out of all of the step siblings, and the most troubled. The parents, tried to get them to get along but it never worked as planned. One lie, and one bad action, can do the worst in this out-of-order family. I chose to read this book because the title was intriguing, and I recommend this book to people who like stories about real stuff like what families deal with like this book.

[Meg LeBarron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book probably fifteen years ago and it’s stuck with me. Whether it was actually good writing or not, I don’t care to be honest. Learning about the family dynamics between the mixed family siblings probably sparked my interest in psychology and interpersonal relationships that i pursued as a minor in college. This is the book I would always give to people for book swaps. I hope to reread it again someday

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars for me. Just a cute family story.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I know any blended families personally but they are always fun to read about

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of Order by Betty Hicks

Summary from Goodreads:

“We'll have fun,” Mom pleaded. “You've always wanted a brother--” “A younger brother,” said Parker. “I wanted a younger brother.” “But Eric is great. He’ll-“ “You don't get it, Mom. I've always been the youngest. Now I'm going to be even younger!”

Before her mom remarried, Lily was the eldest; now she has dropped to second from the bottom. Her 13-year-old stepsister, V, is brilliant, popular, and seriously beautiful, but “lately she's been toxic waste.” That, however, is only Lily's viewpoint. Hicks tells her uproarious story in fast, alternating narratives from the four stepsiblings, who suddenly find themselves together in a blended family. Along with all the jealousy and hurt, they still have fun, as when they hold a rock-paper-scissors competition for a neighborhood fund-raiser. There's also a little puzzle. Who has destroyed the tomatoes that V has been growing to raise money to send soccer balls to kids in Iraq?

I chose to read this book over the Christmas break because it has been recommended for the 2012-2013 Pikes Peak Battle of the Books list. I'm usually skeptical about the books that are recommended for this list. The persons in charge of the selection committee seem intent on forcing students to read what they, as adults, think students should be reading. Often the books recommended are of little interest to students or even if they are a good read, not in print. So, you can imagine that I didn't start this book with the expectation of finding it to be a good read. I LOVE it when a book surprises me.

What I liked about the book: I like how each chapter is written from a different character's points of view. Some readers find that to be confusing, but I for the most part find that it gives the reader more insight into what makes each character who they are. Hicks does a masterful job of this. I like that even though the story is about a serious issue (blending families), it is still a light enjoyable read. Hick's doesn't play down the challenges of being a kid and suddenly finding yourself with a whole new family, but rather than focusing on all the negatives she highlights some of the humorous and positive aspects as well. And of course I like that "it all works out in the end." That doesn't always happen in real life, but it's nice to read about it once in a while.

What I didn't like about the book: Can't think of anything. It's just one of those all around good reads.

Will I recommend this for the Battle of the Books list? Possibly. I have about six or so more recommended books to read. We can only add two new books to the list. I do know that I will recommend this to my students and I plan to purchase it for the library.

Recommended for 4th Grade and up.

AR Level: 4.1

Mrs. Archer's rating: 5 of 5!

[MacKenzie Sturgill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of Order by Betty Hicks was a really good book. It was very funny and dramatic book. It was very interesting and it gave you a glimpse on what happens when two families get remarried and there kids get along. Its better than it sounds.

Frank and Marybeth get married and they both have two kids. V, Franks daughter, is trying to get money to donate soccer balls to kids in Iraq. Her idea of getting money for the soccer balls is growing flowers and selling them to people in her neighborhood. Once Lilly hears about it she wants to plant a flower of her own. So V decides to be nice and buy sunflower seeds for Lilly with her own money. Then, somebody breaks Lilly's flower and everything goes wrong. Lilly thinks that V did it but really she didn't. Lilly got so mad that she decides to ruin V's flowers and the whole family goes crazy. Read the book to find out how they fix their families problems.

I would recommend this book to any body who enjoys humor and drama. Especially if you have gone through a divorce and you have to share your parents with your step brother(s) or sister(s)

[Reba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entry 1-
The main characters are V, Eric, Lily, and Parker. They are all protagonists and atagonists at the same time. They are step brothers anfd sisters.

Entry 2-
The setting is mainly at their home.The point of view is changed between Parker, V, Eric, and Lily through the chapters.

Entry 3-
When Ben dies their parents got divorced and they moved in with another family. Lily plants a sunflower with V's help, but it got killed and everyone blames V, but in the end it turns out that Parker killed it. Before Parker admitted to the klling of the sunflower, Lily kills all of V's tomato plants because she was mad at V. Together they do a rock-paper-scissors tournament and raise money to buy soccerballs.

[Riley Stapley]

Out of Order by Betty Hicks was a very wired book. It was about a family that became family by chance not by choice. There was one family with a little boy and girl. The other had an older girl and boy. The only thing they had in common was that they both needed a dad or a mom in the family. It is about them going through the troubles of becoming a family.
I really liked this book. It was a great book for all ages. It was a pretty easy book. It only had a few huge words that were weird but besides that it was a great book.
This book is good for all ages. It's not to hard not to tough. I believe that any one could read this book. It could be a book from 3rd grade to 8th grade. Any one in the 3rd to 5th age range might need a little help but besides that it is great.

[Sebastian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Out of Order was an okay book, I thought this book was kind of dull and boring, but that's just my opinion. Something I liked about the book is how each chapter was about one of the four children in the step-family. Betty Hicks told us how each character is during the story and how they feel after something happens to them and it was a good idea because we get to see how they felt about being in a family with new a parent and new siblings. Even thought I like those things I didn't really care for the rest of the book. Some people may like this book, but maybe not everyone. If you like realistic fiction this is a good book for you.

[Mollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite having two stepparents who were involved in some part of my life, I've never had to blend in with new kids; no changes in the sibling pecking order. I love that this book tackles that issue, and from the perspective of each of the kids involved. It makes an otherwise straight forward story from one perspective more involved when the next chapter gives the same spin from the another kid's angle. Before the characters recognize it, we see similiarities, differences, and we hope for the best as they learn to figure how to live with each other.

[C.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about the blending that comes with remarriage, and the adjustments in "birth" order that the kids have to make. For example, the oldest child in one family becomes the middle child in the blended family. Everyone, parents included, scrambles to figure out the pecking order. The story is told from the kids' viewpoint, as if they were writing journals. It has good humor and is a book that middle grade readers, whether struggling with divorce and a blended family or not, would enjoy.

[Ransom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Four characters in this book are shown through first-person view. Two siblings from each original family become blended into a stepfamily and have some difficulties with the task. I expected there to be more aftermath from losing a sibling for the older two. I liked the idea that being out of order could change their personalities, and the Rock Paper Scissors tournament was cool. The different characters are named as they get their chapters to share their points of view.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, everyday situations within a newly blended family. The author re-married and created a blended family with her children, so she draws from her own experience. What makes this book unique and interesting is that each chapter rotates the narration amongst the various siblings, seeing their points of view as the situations unfold.

For readers 9-13. Chose for Breakfast Book Club, 5th grade.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story about 4 kids trying to adjust to their new roles in a step-family. It shows the difficulty for an child who suddenly becomes a middle child after being the oldest or the baby of the family, as well as the trouble of blending two families. It is told from the point of view of all four children, taking turns but in no particular order.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about 2 kids and their mother. Their dad died. So their mother got remarried. Her new husband has 2 kids too. And each of the kids just take turns righting about their lives and whats going on with their famile. Its an okay book, Ive read better. But I'd recommend this book to any one who wants to read a short easy read.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two adults marry and their four children have to get used to being a new, larger family. Emily is used to being the oldest but suddenly finds herself third in line. V had been the youngest and now is near the top of the pile. This book is a funny and lighthearted view of a new family group going through growing pains.

Recommended for grades 4-6

[Caylee · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this book when i was in fourth grade and so didnt get it so make sur u r 10+ to read it otherwise u wont get it and it wont seem like a good book to u and i want all of ur reading experiances to be good!

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

J Two families are united into one, causing issues among the 4 siblings. This book has a realistic feel to it with humorous touches about all the things that go wrong and can go right in stepfamilies.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book,it was a good book. It just was all over the place. I didnt like how the chapters were the characters names. Other than that I really liked the book. I think if you have a step family that you should really read this.

[Jasminecoronelmejia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of order is a book I really liked it was a really good book too. It is a book about a family who had their dad somewhere else and he came home one of the teenagers liked to study a lot. He would usally read or write in his book he writes what happened in his day.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Step-brothers and -sisters, and a rock-paper-scissors tournament.

[The Library Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yup, it's another "blended family learns to get along" sort of book. But it's told in 4 voices, the kids are interesting, believable characters and it's quirky enough to be fun.

[♥ Indu · Rating 5 out of 5]

what i like about this book is that it speaks from diferent points of views.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky blended family story

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny it was out of order, the siblings talking are out of order. I t was funny and good. You'll like it seems like real like and this can really happen.

[Divya · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is kinda like a movie of life with derek.

[Novelist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. The family was interesting and the events were somewhat good to read. Can't say it was one of the absolute best books though.