Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    My Cousin's Keeper
    Unavailable
    My Cousin's Keeper
    Unavailable
    My Cousin's Keeper
    Audiobook4 hours

    My Cousin's Keeper

    Written by Simon French

    Narrated by Todd Haberkorn

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Eleven-year-old Kieran wants to be part of the in-group at school. He wants to be on the soccer team. He wants to fit in. But then his weird cousin Bon turns up, both at school and at home. Bon's mom hasn't taken good care of him, and he knows nothing about fitting in, with his long blond braid, babyish hand-knit hat, and funny, precise voice. Bon doesn't play sports and likes to draw imaginary maps with stories about "Bon the Crusader" and "Kieran the Brave." No wonder the boys call him Rapunzel and throw his stuff around! With unflinching honesty, My Cousin's Keeper takes on childhood jealousy, family secrets, unexpected kindness, and the turning moments when the path diverges between being popular and doing the right thing.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 9, 2014
    ISBN9781491502884
    Unavailable
    My Cousin's Keeper
    Author

    Simon French

    Simon French was born in Wallingford, England May 29, 1961 to Joan and Peter Michael French. The oldest of three boys, they came over on the ship called the Queen Elizabeth to the United States when he was six years old. Simon has always loved reading and writing and has always strived to write novels, but something always held him back. He recounts how one day his son asked him what it was he truly wanted to do and told him it was to write. His son said, “Then do it, there is nothing stopping you except yourself.” Simon sat down and started to write his first novel, and is proud to present to the reading world, 'The Aryan Secret.'

    Related to My Cousin's Keeper

    Related audiobooks

    Children's Family For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Books

      Dec 22, 2020

      It’s Christmas 1845, and the Bronte sisters are back as amateur detectives when they discover the bones of a child have been found in the walls of a local house. It’s not long before they’re on to a trail of other lost children. An absolute treat for

      1 min read

    • Article

      You’re The Dirty Rascal

      Apr 6, 2023

      You’re The Dirty Rascal
      5 min read

    • Article

      Externalities

      Jan 10, 2023

      “In economics, an externality is the cost or benefit that affects a party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit.”—James Buchanan and W. Craig Stubblebine The library rolled heavily into town, bearing its cargo of knowledge mundane, esoteri

      15 min read

    • Article

      Life after Harry

      Jun 12, 2020

      Life after Harry
      2 min read

    • Article

      Totally EMBARRASSING

      Oct 10, 2021

      Totally EMBARRASSING
      2 min read

    • Article

      March’s BOOK CLUB

      Feb 2, 2023

      Other Women by Emma Flint (£16.99, HB, Pan Macmillan) Bea Cade can’t resist the charms of Tom Ryan. Any time the attractive and enigmatic salesman visits the offices where Bea works she goes weak at the knees. But Tom is married to Kate. While it’s

      4 min read

    • Article

      A Place To Call Home

      Sep 11, 2019

      A Place To Call Home
      7 min read

    • Article

      Ben Muncaster

      Oct 5, 2021

      Age 19 (14 Oct 2001) Born Bedford Position Back-row Club Edinburgh Height 6ft 3in Weight 17st 2lb Twitter handle @Muncaster_Ben THEY SAY that it’s in adversity when a person reveals their character. That might be an appropriate starting point for an

      3 min read

    • Article

      Tales of Fatherhood

      Jun 1, 2019

      “There is nothing like looking at a newborn and realising you’ve much more responsibility, and more than that, he or she becomes your pride and joy. Your days are brighter with them. You yearn to hear them talk about their day, to take them to go pla

      2 min read

    • Article

      Reading Rocks!

      Mar 3, 2022

      Reading Rocks!
      2 min read

    • Article

      It GiRL OF the MONTH meet: EMELIA

      Feb 1, 2023

      AGE: 10 NICKNAME: Em or Mili SIBLINGS: None. I am an only child FAVE COLOUR: Green FAVE SHOPS: Big W and Cotton On Kids FAVE ANIMALS: Zebras and chickens FUN FACTS: • I love hula hooping and I do it nearly every day • I’m obsessed with dumplings and

      1 min read

    • Article

      Your Say

      Apr 18, 2021

      I gave some pocket money to my granddaughter to take to school for emergencies. I was confused when she came home the next day requesting more. “What was the emergency?” I asked. She looked a little sheepish when she replied, “I needed sweets, Nana –

      1 min read

    • Article

      It GiRL OF the MONTH meet: VICTORIA

      Jun 7, 2023

      AGE: 8 NICKNAME: Vic, Vicklet, Vicky, V SIBLINGS: Three older siblings, Carla, Sean, and Samantha PETS: Two Cavoodles named Violet and Bonnie FAVE SINGER: Meghan Trainor FAVE MOVIE: Encanto FAVE COLOUR: Yellow FUN FACTS: • I would eat sushi every day

      1 min read

    • Article

      Take A Fancy!

      Jul 9, 2020

      Take A Fancy!
      3 min read

    • Article

      Check It Out

      Feb 25, 2021

      Rebecca Robinson is a librarian at the Troy Public Library in New York. Written by B. G. Ford, Illustrated by Tom Cooke Join beloved Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie on a trip to the supermarket! Follow them as they go through all the steps of

      1 min read

    • Article

      Welcome!

      Aug 11, 2021

      Our gorgeous Warm Fuzzies page never fails to give me, well, the warm fuzzies. But this week (Page 74) it delivered me, and the tl! team, a bonus burst of nostalgia. We all just loved the item about the old school desk from the ’60s inscribed with Be

      1 min read

    • Article

      It Girl OF THE month

      Jun 1, 2022

      MY FAVOURITE THING ABOUT SCHOOL IS news day. I love standing up in front of the class to speak. My least favourite thing about school is math. It’s so boring. I LOVE TO SING. I first performed as a singer when I was six and I sang Christmas carols a

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Beirne Identity

      May 4, 2021

      The Beirne Identity
      6 min read

    • Article

      Welcome

      Mar 30, 2022

      Over the past few months, my mum Sally has been having a big clean out of my childhood home. Mum and Dad still live there, and while the house is not large, there is a lot of stuff. A chunk of it belongs to my sister Lenore and me. For instance, ther

      1 min read

    • Article

      Their Fave (fake) Rich Auntie

      Dec 14, 2020

      The wonders of Christmas on the Cape Flats are wrapped in big bows we call our family. This is an expensive present you get to enjoy for most of the year with love, as your cousins remain your best and closest friends for most of your life. Although

      2 min read

    • Article

      Sweet 16 Surprise

      Jan 31, 2023

      It was sheer torture having to sit at the dining room table and answer embarrassing questions politely. “Well, how does it feel to be turning 16?” asked Helen, Mama's dear friend. “Sweet 16 and never been kissed!” she said brightly, giving me an elbo

      3 min read

    • Article

      Sweet 16 Surprise

      Jan 31, 2023

      It was sheer torture having to sit at the dining room table and answer embarrassing questions politely. “Well, how does it feel to be turning 16?” asked Helen, Mama's dear friend. “Sweet 16 and never been kissed!” she said brightly, giving me an elbo

      3 min read

    Reviews for My Cousin's Keeper

    4/5

    20 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      11 year-old Kieran has a pretty good life until unknown cousin, Bon, gets dropped into his life. Bon is a loner and different. He doesn't act like the other kids. Being friends with him embarrasses Kieran, and when his friends begin to tease and bully Bon, Kieran participates. It isn't until he begins to understand the sort of life Bon has had that Kieran starts to sympathize and rebel against the bullies at school.My Cousin's Keeper was an enjoyable book and the language made it a very smooth, easy read, but it moves at a snail's pace and offers no exciting or notable climax. Slow and steady with a good dose of life lessons - especially to to be kind to others.* I received a copy of this book from the publisher to a review.
    • 4/5
      It's a decent book. The theme is bullying. There are two cousins, Kieran and Bon. Kieran doesn't like Bon who comes to live with him. Bon is different, he looks and acts different. Kieran wants to be popular so he joins the bullies and picks on Kieran. Julia, a newcomer to school becomes friends with Bon. Kieran likes Julia but she doesn't pay attention to him, or want to be his friend because he picks on Bon. Eventually, Kieran overcomes his prejudice when he goes too far in bullying Bon. The plot isn't exceptional but it is not boring either. It reads fast. Overall, a good book. It targets Middle schoolers.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed "My Cousin's Keeper" by Simon French and was able to complete it in a couple of hours. In the story, a boy named Kieran wants to be just like the other boys. He wants to be popular like them. It is going well for him, until his cousin comes along. Everyone considers Bon to be strange and teases him. Eventually, Kieran has to choose between his group of friends and Bon. Situations like this one occur in most classrooms these days, and I feel that this book could help kids realize that bullying is wrong and that they can do something to stop it. This book is aimed towards readers between 8 and 12 years old, but is also a quick, heartwarming story for older readers.
    • 4/5
      Honest, perceptive story exploring the complexities of bullying, family dynamics, and peer pressure. A good choice for small group or class discussion.
    • 4/5
      I couldn't put this book down until I reached the end. Believable characters and story. Pitched to the middle school age group. Characters were not perfect, but the narrative carried me along. Kids reading this book will most likely get lost in the story as well. Bullying, poverty, mental illness of a parent; these are some of the intense themes addressed in this novel. Totally worth reading. I hope the intended audience has the patience to read it.
    • 3/5
      I think writing serious middle grade fiction must be incredibly difficult. An author must be able to find the right voice for the characters and relay an interesting story aimed at an age level that might not be ready for some more difficult themes. I had high hopes for MY COUSIN'S KEEPER when I started it, but I was disappointed by the end. The book focuses on Kieran, an eleven-year-old boy who wants to be popular, and his cousin Bon, a misfit who is new to Kieran's school. Also new to the school is Julia, a girl who draws Kieran's eye and who is somehow Bon's best friend. Although Kieran is fairly well developed as a character, neither Bon nor Julia grabbed me, and the secondary characters were stereotypes, uninteresting, or completely flat.The dialogue between the kids did not ring true, and Kieran's constant mention of Bon's "precise voice" was annoying. Fortunately, the book is a quick read and it comes to a tidy resolution.Although we need more good middle grade books that address bullying, this is not one of them.
    • 4/5
      Eleven year old Kieren learns about family, friends, and courage in this novel. I liked the contrast between a boy who is loved by family in a very normal situation being faced by children who are in more precarious situations. Without being preachy the author shows that expansion of Kieran's perspective from resentment and fear to respect and love. It's a hard journey but also lovely.
    • 5/5
      11-year-old Kieran has is life turned upside down when his cousin Bon suddenly becomes an integral part of his family. Embarrassed by Bon's unconventional appearance and behaviour, and desperate to be part of the popular crowd, Kieran refuses to accept his cousin and even joins in on the relentless bullying. This was a quick read but recommended for readers in the 9-12 age group. The issues of peer pressure, bullying and family loyalty are dealt wit nicely.
    • 5/5
      The main characters in this story are like many of my middle schools students. They want to fit in, and be accepted by others in school. Looking and acting different make that difficult. Associating with someone who is different is just as bad. The main character Kieran has been trying to be part of the “in crowd” since his best friend moved away. He is always on the fringe as if he just isn’t quite good enough. It is usually these kids who get into trouble by going too far to fit in. In Kieran’s case, his difficulty fitting in just got harder. His cousin Bon, whom he’s only met once before and doesn’t really like, shows up at his school and his home. Kieran’s friends Mason and Lucas make fun of Bon for his long braid and his not as nice clothes. Bon seems unfazed. He doesn’t care about fitting in. Things get tougher when Julia the new girl that Kieran has a crush on, starts hanging with Bon. Kieran really feels betrayed. He joins in the bullying of his cousin. Things aren’t always what they seem, and this author did a wonderful job of showing that. Bon is a character I not only felt so sorry for, yet admired. He had his eyes set on where he wanted to go in life and kept his head up as he headed that way. He was a true friend and cousin. We learn more about Julia and her secrets as the story progresses and see how and why Bon and Julia became such good friends. We have all had that one black sheep in the family that we didn’t want to acknowledge. This book made me look back at when we were younger and how I treated that cousin. My treatment of them may not have gone to the extremes that Kieran’s did but I was just as guilty. They are someone I now look up to and admire. I think one of the reasons I liked this book so much is because I can see the value of reading it to my students and having it on my shelves at school. I also love books that take me back to my own childhood and show me how I was not much different than the character,s and teach melessons I should have learned long ago. Yes I can say I learned a lot. I am currently dealing with one of those black sheep in the family and realized I was headed the wrong way. This book was a great reminder. It is a great thing when a children’s book can teach a lesson to an adult. Because after all, we all want to fit in. This book looks at the dynamics of “family”, bullying, and jealousy. This is definitely a book I will tell my school librarian needs to be on our shelves.I won an ARC from LibraryThing