Genie Harris

Eugene Douglas Harris, known as Genie, is an 11-year-old boy who is known for his questions and his worries. Genie keeps a notebook that is filled with bullet-points, usually in the form of questions but sometimes just worries that he wishes he could answer. Genie considers Google to be his best friend because he can find many of the answers there, but there are simply some questions that defy answers, at least from formal sources. One of those arises when Genie wonders why he was so careless with a possession that belonged to his uncle Wood, who died in Desert Storm.

Genie is devoted to his brother, Ernie, who is about to turn 14 when they arrive in the country. Genie depends heavily on Ernie to tell him when things are okay. For example, Genie waits for Ernie to taste new foods before trying them himself. This dependence...