Two Sides to Everything

by Deb Brammer

While his mother recuperates from an accident that has left her partially paralyzed, Josh leaves Denver and goes to stay at his Uncle Hamish's New Zealand sheep farm, where his faith in God is strengthened as he faces new challenges.

151 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2004

About the author

Deb Brammer is the author of ten fiction books, one memoir and a Bible study book, as well as a variety of ministry resources. The New Beginnings series features her three most recent novels. She and her husband have served as church planting missionaries since 1978. They served 16 years in Taiwan and have served since 1998 in Invercargill, New Zealand.
Deb Brammer used the pen name Dillon Forbes as she authored the book Careful Enough?
Deb offers many free ministry resources on her website. This includes ESL Bible studies, church programs, and puppet scripts, which have been tested in her ministries.

Reviews

[Bo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed this book. There were a few minor things that I personally didn't care for.

Having lived in New Zealand the majority of my life, I enjoyed the NZ connection, and felt that the book portrayed things accurately. I also appreciated the theme of "two sides to everything" in more than one thread throughout the book. I did think the grandpa could have given more definitive advice about the bully earlier in the story, but I liked the character development in Josh (the main character) as the book progressed.

Overall, a good, enjoyable read.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two Sides to Everything was a thoughtful and uplifting read. Josh’s struggles with fitting in and dealing with bullying felt very real, and I loved the New Zealand setting. The message about changing your own heart first was powerful.

[Wilani Wahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for YA. I loved this book on so many levels. I highly recommend for Children and teens to read. It has an important message about dealing with bullies from a Christian perspective.

[Sebastian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Two Sides to Everything has strong characters, a meaningful story, and a great balance of faith and real-life challenges. It was emotional without feeling overly dramatic.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a warm and inspiring story. Josh’s journey felt authentic, and the sheep farm setting added so much charm. A great read for anyone who enjoys clean, faith centered fiction.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how realistic the emotions felt in this book. Josh’s experience in New Zealand wasn’t perfect, which made his growth feel believable. A meaningful and encouraging read.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Goodreads and Deb Brammer for your contest where I was awarded a free copy of “Two Sides to Everything”. This book was simply amazing! It is a must for my church library. It will definitely appeal to middle grade boys. “Two Sides to Everything” is a realistic Christian fiction that deals with peer pressure, bullying, and points-of-view. I loved learning about some of the customs in New Zealand. The glossary in the back of the book was a great help.
Josh’s mother was in a serious accident in Denver and needs time to recover. His parents decide to send Josh to visit his uncle who lives on a sheep farm in New Zealand. Since New Zealand is an English speaking country, Josh does not have to learn a new language. He just needs to learn the new meaning of some words like “mousetrap” which in New Zealand refers to an open-faced specialty sandwich that is described in the glossary. Josh will attend New Zealand schools until time for him to return home and will help his uncle on the sheep farm.
Josh sees bullying and fear in the students in his new school. He sets out to straighten out these students but is not successful until he begins to realize that he too must change.
I highly recommend this book. “Two Sides to Everything” would be an excellent choice to use in the classroom to illustrate cultural differences.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great children's book about an American boy's life in New Zealand.

[Deb Brammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This shows cultural differences between the US and New Zealand as well as city vs country. We've experienced these differences first hand.