A review by abigailbat
Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

4.0

When Ben's family moves across the country, Ben's got to deal with a lot of new stuff: new house, new town, new friends... But strangest of all is the new addition to the family - a chimpanzee named Zan who's the focus of his father's latest research project. Ben's dad is trying to prove that chimps can learn language, so Zan becomes Ben's new "half-brother". But what will happen to Zan when the research project is over?

This is a thought-provoking book with enough historical detail to bring 1973 to life. Very different from Oppel's previous works, this is a perfect choice for any middle-schoolers interested in animal rights. It's also a touching story of a boy's complicated relationship with his family.

http://www.abbythelibrarian.com/2010/06/half-brother.html