houseonthegulf

__The House on the Gulf__ by Margaret Peterson Haddix ISBN: 0-439-69970-3 ©2004 201 pages

pp. 2-3 where Britt explains the house sitting bottom of p. 9 where Britt has an odd feeling about what’s going on
 * Good sections to read aloud:**

Bran and Britt live with their mother in Florida. They don’t have a lot of money, and mom is trying to make ends meet, and go to college. When Bran comes home and tells them that he has a job house-sitting for the summer, it’s great news for the family. Not only do they get to live in a nice house, they don’t have to worry about paying rent or any other utilities, so mom can devote her time and money to school. Bran is also picking up another job. Britt is very excited, but Bran starts becoming so secretive about so many things that her excitement is ruined and she starts to try and figure out why he is lying about things he never would have before. What is this big secret Bran has? Why doesn’t mom notice he’s acting odd? Even though the cover makes the book look like a mystery, there are a lot of issues in the book that teenagers face that aren’t a mystery at all.
 * Summary:**

YA fiction-- Teen issue; brothers/sisters; secrets; single parent families

©Jennifer Lang - WDMS - 2011