Fourth in the series
about two brothers growing up in New
Jersey comes another appealing and simple menu; TOMATO SOUP
FOR EUGENE. So far the kids have enjoyed homemade garlic
bread, lemonade, and grilled cheese sandwiches. Now they're
getting that bit older and Henry the elder, as ever is keen
to step up and get on with life. Eugene has always been his
keen supporter, and sometimes his stimulus to action. That
is what happens when you lose your dad.
Henry is in high school now, the star of the football team.
And he has new friends, some of whom have cars, and he
doesn't want his little brother hanging around any more.
Can't Eugene arrange his own social life?
Disappointed, Eugene gives up on the idea of a high-profile
football game in town, since Henry doesn't want his
company. He goes off to a friend's house and helps fix up
some old machinery. Later he and his pal Karl see a new kid
in school being bullied, and step in to help, at some risk
to themselves. Rashid can't help where he comes from, nor
fight back against cruel taunts. His parents are surgeons,
good people, as Eugene and Karl discover later.
Another person suffering rejection is Butchie, the mature
janitor at the school. His girlfriend has just departed to
try life in a new town. Butchie has nobody to keep an eye
on his diet, to watch against the creep of heart-unhealthy
foods and the lure of sodas. If he ate a double-sized
everything in the fast food place, who would know?
Loneliness increases temptation.
I was fascinated by the interplay of characters and
strands. As I am not interested in American football I
skipped past some pages, but I know they will appeal to
many boys. Henry discovers that even younger brothers have
their uses, and indeed without the prop of the bigger lad,
Eugene stands a bit taller. Butchie has already had one
second chance in life, following a heart attack; now he
gets another second chance.
The seaside town is again full of adventure, fishing, good
food, and good friends. If you just open your eyes and look,
you won't just pass over something or someone less
conventionally attractive or less cool. I was satisfied
with the way the book turned out, and I can only say I'm
sorry that author Michael Heath has decided this will be
the last installment. TOMATO SOUP FOR EUGENE is a good way
to make boys think about role models and allegiances.
In the fourth and final book of the Eugene Series, Henry
joins the freshman football team at Richard M. Nixon High
School and quickly becomes a star wide receiver. As other
students make plans for the Homecoming Gala, Henry discovers
that the same courage used on the football field is harder
to find when asking a girl for a date.
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