Lots of fear and scariness but little actual violence. With an unpredictable mom who's irresponsible and sometimes dangerous when she drinks, Hank is constantly terrified and trying to stay ahead of all the bad things that could happen. Being homeless and being separated from Boo are at the top of the list, but when you've got no money, no food, no electricity, and no idea what's become of the only adult in your life, there's plenty of scary stuff going on. In the recent past, the death of Hank's grandmother, a loving woman who did her best to protect the kids and give them a stable home, sets all the trouble in motion and casts them adrift. In the present, an adult character is still grieving over the death of his little daughter and the breakup of his marriage.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
A girl in 11-year-old Hank's class is his best friend and wouldn't mind being his girlfriend, but accepts that he's got too much to deal with right now. Hank's friends are always bugging him to kiss her, and a game at a party looks promising till her mom steps in.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Scene-setting mentions of products, e.g., Twizzlers, Tylenol, Band-Aids.
Diverse Representations
a lot
Hank, Boo, and a few other characters are White, but most are described as having dark skin and appear Black and Latino. Characters speak English, Spanish, and Spanglish.
Hank and Boo's mom is great when she's sober: fun, affectionate, and standing up for them. However, this rarely happens now due to her addictions, which have gotten worse recently. Hank sees her for what she is, guards Boo against the harm their mom can cause as best he can, and can't entirely stop loving her. Carrying loads of adult responsibility that no 11-year-old should have to, Hank is a huge worrier, with crushing anxiety, but he's been Boo's sole caregiver for so long it's become a way of life, and he's always managed to go to school, do all his homework, and work on his art. He doesn't always make the right choices—and pays a heavy price for lying in one bad moment—but he's determined to look out for Boo and do what it takes to keep them together, including internet sleuthing, problem-solving, and knowing when it's time to ask for help. From the older lady on the bus who gives them directions and advice to the assorted adults who take them in and try to improve their situation, the kids get a lot of much-needed, though often precarious, support; once child protective services gets involved, things get scarier even though everyone means well.
Positive Messages
a lot
Strong messages of kindness, friendship, chosen family, teamwork, perseverance, and integrity. "It's hard to love someone you don't trust." Trying to make things right after you've done wrong, and realizing it might not be easy.
Educational Value
some
Computers are important to the story as Hank does a lot of online searching—including through jail records—and learns new skills from an adult who's a tech consultant and helps him make animations of his drawings. Basketball skills and lore are also important. Mentions of books including Dragon Hoops, The Crossover, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish. Details about age-appropriate child care for 3-year-olds.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, by Gennifer Choldenko (Al Capone Does My Shirts), is narrated by the 11-year-old title character, whose mother has vanished (yet again), leaving him and his 3-year-old sister to fend for themselves. Its strong message, as the author puts it in the dedication, is "To every kid who carries adult responsibilities on 11-year-old shoulders, you are not alone"—but meanwhile, the sibs are getting evicted because their absent mom hasn't paid the rent for six months, and they have no food, no money, and nowhere to go. Adults' addiction and drunk driving are important to the story. So are betrayed trust, making bad choices in desperate moments, and trying to repair the damage. Between child protective services and their unpredictable mom, there's a lot of scary stuff to deal with as Hank grapples with overwhelming, very adult problems. Lots of adult and kid characters, mostly Black and Latino, come to his aid and make him see a better life might be possible; characters speak English, Spanish, and Spanglish. Three-year-old Boo's toilet training is a big theme, so there are plentiful references to pee, poop, crap, etc. Hank shows remarkable courage, perseverance, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills—while dealing with the crushing weight of being the only responsible figure in his family at 11, and also knowing when it's time to ask for help. The kind characters who come to their aid are often dealing with problems of their own, and there are often misunderstandings and missteps. But ultimately it's an uplifting tale of people who are often struggling to come together, help each other out, and move things in a better direction.
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN finds the title character, age 11, hiding in the bathroom with his 3-year-old sister as the landlord bangs on the door and shouts that they'll be on the street the next day if their mom doesn't pay six months of back rent. Which is a problem, because their mom has been gone for a week, and Hank has no idea where she is—disappearing is nothing new, especially when she's drinking, but she's never been gone this long. With no food, no money, and no electricity in the apartment, Hank knows he has to get help, but his only hope is a woman he's never met, a onetime friend of his grandmother, whose death was the beginning of their troubles. Fortunately, his mom did leave her bus pass behind and it's still good, so the siblings are soon navigating the transit system to the house of a stranger Hank hopes will take them in.
Gennifer Choldenko delivers a heartfelt, harrowing tale of a brave, resourceful, scared 11-year-old, his 3-year-old sister, the hard-drinking mom who's left them yet again, and the strangers who help. The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman finds its narrator and title characters facing challenges no kid should have to deal with as the de facto adult in his family, protecting his little sister, and turning to strangers for aid when things are desperately wrong. Hank's courage, resourcefulness, vulnerability, and desperation will grab readers and make them care what happens to him and little Boo—and there's a lot of suspense, as things have a way of blowing up just when it starts to seem possible that they're getting better. Lots of appealing characters, from senior citizens to middle schoolers, enrich the tale and offer help on the way.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about books like The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, where kids are trying to deal with responsibilities that would be a lot even for adults. What stories do you know that give a relatable view of those kids' lives—and how they got that way, and how they might get better?
Do you know any kids who have a family member dealing with addiction? How does it affect others in the family, and how are they dealing with it?
If you had to get from your home to somewhere in another town on public transit, could you? What could you use to help?
Talk about Hank's courage and perseverance. Where do you think it comes from? Do you think Hank sees himself as brave? Why, or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
