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Summary
Michael Kirkpatrick is an athlete who takes care of his younger handicapped brother. Their father is dead and they are being raised by their mother. Michael does all he can to help as he blames himself for the accident that left his brother handicapped.

When Teddy is targeted by a local drug dealer, Michael must take action. He cannot allow Teddy, who doesn’t even understand what’s going on, to be manipulated and used.

Michael struggles to figure out the best way to deal with the situation. Michael stands up to the drug dealers and gets hurt a couple of times before he decides what he should do. Unbeknownst to Michael, his mother gets involved when she notices the mood changes and strange “friends” Michael has picked up.

Review
For Love of Teddy is a touching story dealing with family love and loyalty. In the story, everything works out okay. In real life, that is not always the case.

Michael is an enjoyable character with strong moral values. His daily care of Teddy is very moving. He will do whatever it takes to protect his family. I understood his need to care for and protect his family.

It was difficult to read about the bullying of a mentally handicapped teenager. But sadly, things like this happen often. I found it slightly unbelievable that Michael was able to “fall” out of trouble so to speak. He didn’t always make the right choices but in the end he was rewarded for his good intent.

I was a bit disappointed that Michael and Teddy’s mother, Eleanor, wasn’t very aware of the things going on their lives. Michael often kept things from her but she quickly got involved when she realized Michael was in over his head.

For Love of Teddy is an enjoyable short read and provides a good story for young adults about a very serious topic.