Pool Boy

The Washington Post

Rookie novelist Simmons has really nailed it in this engaging first-person narrative of a 15-year-old Californian boy fallen on hard times.

Publishers Weekly

Lowe effectively tackles teendom, skillfully giving voice to 15-year-old Brett Gerson, star of the riches-to-rags tale that comprises Simmons' crisply formed debut novel. Listeners quickly discover that Brett is bitter and angry-which he blames on his father, who ruined their family when he was busted for insider trading and carted off to jail. Left high and dry without the cash and material playthings to which he had grown accustomed, Brett suffers a rude introduction to life on the other side of the tracks. He's forced to take a job with Alfie, the 70-year-old pool man who previously cleaned the Gersons' pool (before they had to sell the mansion). As Brett begins to work for a living, he bonds with Alfie and, not surprisingly, soaks up the elder man's fatherly concern and advice. Lowe is confident delivering Brett's sarcastic remarks and handles the tale's emotional, though not overdone, denouement with aplomb; he makes listeners believe Brett's subtle change of heart. Ages 12-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature

15-year-old Brett Gerson's life has been ruined. His father, who made millions as a stockbroker, has been sent to jail, and life as Brett knew it has come to an end. Now, instead of lounging beside the family pool, he is cleaning them. Their home and possessions have been sold and he, his mother and sister live with his Aunt Mary. It is Alfie Moore, the man who owns the pool cleaning service, who subtly helps Brett change from a cocky teen who feels he has been cheated out of the things he deserves to a person who begins to understand what is important in life. Alfie, who is in his seventies, has a garden and cans his own produce. He even lets Brett borrow the van to take his driving test. When Alfie suffers a fatal heart attack, Brett begins to see the importance of family relationships, and begins trying to improve the one he has with his father. Simmons captures the teen personality here and maintains it throughout the story. Brett can be both an infuriating and sympathetic character. The other characters come alive as well. The story never becomes maudlin. It is realistic in its approach and will strike a chord with many teens. 2003, A Neal Porter Book/Roaring Brook Press, Ages 12 to 15.
— Sharon Salluzzo

KLIATT

Brett used to lead the good life, residing in a mansion with a
— Paula Rohrlick

VOYA

Fifteen-year-old Brett grew up rich-expensive stereo systems, fancy houses, and luxurious cars were always at his disposal. Everything changes, however, when his father is jailed for inside trading and the family moves to "the wrong side of the tracks." Now Brett works after school, endures the humiliation of losing his rich-boy status, and reluctantly visits his father in jail. His anger with his father puts additional stress on the fragile family. When Alfie, the free-spirited, elderly pool cleaner, offers him a job, Brett unexpectedly finds a mentor to help him through difficult times. Told in the first person, this novel is a conventional coming-of-age story despite the rather unconventional setting. Brett's life is fairly normal, despite his change in circumstances, and he experiences unrequited love, the joy of getting his driver's license, the pain of losing a loved one, and other rites of passage during the course of the summer. Thanks to Alfie's wisdom, Brett also learns the importance of forgiveness and making sound choices. He is an engaging character with an authentic voice, although some observations-"my sister was crying softly" and "My mom gave me one of her looks of quiet desperation"-do not quite ring true. The secondary characters, although meant to be colorful, lack enough depth to be believable. Nevertheless, Brett's story will interest readers looking for a quick, undemanding read. Short sentences, uncomplicated dialogue, and lots of white space will appeal to older reluctant readers. The almost fairy-tale ending and Brett's maturation over the summer will please those looking for a satisfying conclusion. VOYA Codes: 3Q 3P J S (Readable without serious defects; Willappeal with pushing; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2003, Roaring Brook, 160p,
— Judy Sasges

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up-Brett, 15, had it all: good looks, a winning personality, and a lot of money. That is, until the police busted his dad for money laundering and insider trading. Now the teen's posh lifestyle-like his dad-has gone to the dogs, and Brett, his mom, and sister move into their great-aunt's humble two-story on the other side of the tracks. Forced to help out in making ends meet, the teen takes a job cleaning pools in his old upscale neighborhood. With surprisingly sharp insight for a first novel, Simmons doesn't bat an eyelash in forcing his arrogantly smug antihero to combat a truckload of issues involving his new life in a lower-income bracket. Dubbed "pool boy" by the new owners of the house that his own family lost, Brett stubbornly comes to terms with forgiving his father for being a criminal and losing the family fortune. What results from Simmons's dead-on characterization in this well-told first-person account is a humorous yet thought-provoking journey through the life and mind of a self-centered young man who must now reconsider his own sense of responsibility to rebuild the life torn apart by his father's crimes.-Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Brett Gerson has it tough: fabulously rich for 15 years, his life is capsized when his father is jailed for insider trading. "[I]f you go from the life of leisure that I once had," says Brett, "to the life of toil and drudgery that I have now, it’s very, very hard." That toil and drudgery consists of a move to his eccentric aunt’s house on the wrong side of the tracks and a job cleaning rich people’s pools with Alfie. The relationship that builds between the elderly, bus-driving, pool-cleaning free spirit and the spoiled, selfish teen is a marvel to watch unfold. Brett’s voice never softens, but readers will catch on that his wiseass commentary is in part a façade to conceal honest-to-goodness emotion. When Alfie meets with a medical emergency, that emotion comes flooding out. It’s no mean feat, rendering a character who is both detestable and sympathetic; Simmons has done this, and hilariously so, his first time out. (Fiction. 12+)