Surviving the Applewhites

Surviving the Applewhites is a 2002 book by Stephanie S. Tolan. The book received a Newbery Honor award in 2003.

Plot synopsis

Jake Semple, a juvenile delinquent, gets transferred to the Applewhites, a family of artists who run a home school called the Creative Academy. Randolph Applewhite, the father, is doing the play The Sound of Music, but the show is cancelled. Since the family was all helping with the play, including Cordelia, who was sewing costumes for the production, they are all upset. So the family decides to fix up the barn as a stage and continue with the production. When Jake comes, daughter E.D. is doing a project on butterflies which she names " Butterflies of The Carolinas", but cannot find the Great Spangled Fritillary. Destiny, the youngest of the four children at four years old, is a chatty annoying little boy who dyes his hair purple with Kool-Aid after watching Jake dye his own hair red.

Characters

Jake Semple - A boy with brown hair (dyed scarlet) which he gells up into spikes, Jake is one of the main protagonists. He tends to wear all black, and enjoys shocking people with his appearance and bad language. His parents have been sent to jail for growing marijuana. He has been expelled from nearly every school in the state, even reputedly burning one down. He claims that that was an accident. He is a very good singer, getting cast as Rolf in the production of The Sound of Music. Through out the book, he becomes good friends with Winston, a lovable basset hound, as well as Destiny, the four-year old nuisance of the family.
Edith "E.D." Applewhite - A frank, no-nonsense twelve-year old (the other protagonist). She at first cannot stand Jake, but learns to live with him as the book goes on. The only Applewhite with any organizational skills whatsoever, she often feels exasperated with her family. After the tech staff leaves, she becomes the stage manager. Her parents are Randolph Applewhite and Sybil Jameson.
Randolph Applewhite - A short-tempered, blustering man, Randolph is the father to all the Applewhite children. He is a director who is very good at annoying people into leaving "his" play.
Sybil Jameson/Debbie Applewhite - The writer of the family, Sybil is the mother of the children. Sybil Jameson is her pen name; she writes mystery books.
Zedediah Applewhite - The patriarch of the Applewhite clan, he is the most like E.D. He handcrafts wood furniture.
Lucille Applewhite - A poet, she is very "artsy". Garden spirits told her in a dream to create a round garden, and she finds the color lavender soothing. Her two goats Hazel and Wolvesbane are complete opposites, Hazel being gentle and Wolfie being homicidal. She insists upon loving him unconditionally anyway.
Archie Applewhite - He also works in wood, although much more abstract than his father. He never graduated from high school, although he got his G.E.dhdD.. His wife is Lucille.
Destiny Applewhite - Four years old, Destiny likes to sing and chatter constantly. It is something that you can get used to, rather like "the refrigerator motor". He becomes friends with Jake, calling him his big brother. Destiny is also jealous of Jake's red hair, which he emulates by dyeing his own purple- with Kool Aid.djryjusruww
Cordelia Applewhite - A high-strung dancer, she must be coerced into choreographing the play. Jake thinks she is beautiful.
Hal Applewhite - A reclusive teenager with acne, Hal appears only briefly. He has experimented with being a painter, sculptor, and set designer.
Winston - The lovable basset hound who takes such a shine to Jake, he must go along to rehearsals.

Reading level

Surviving the Applewhites is meant to be read by ages ten and up. There has been some controversy over the proper age level of the book; parents have complained some content is inappropriate for the age group, with references to smoking, bad language (although only one bad word is actually said), and arson.