From Organization / 国外机构评价: |
| Gr 4-7–Twelve-year-old Derek has been identified as a reluctant reader. He likes to read, but doesn't enjoy required materials. He says he prefers having his own adventures (tossing as hand grenades the avocados his mother is saving for dinner, climbing onto the roof with a croquet set to hit wooden balls into the satellite dish) to learning about someone else's life. When his teacher gives the class summer reading and writing assignments, Derek finds a way to distract himself from the task. He discovers an old newspaper clipping about a 17-year-old who drowned, and his mother explains that the teen was babysitting him at the time and died saving him. Derek is determined to learn more about her death and his involvement in it. The margins of this book feature vocabulary words illustrated with cartoons. The protagonist is by turns likable and irritating, but always interesting. He is sure to engage fans of Jeff Kinney's “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” books (Abrams) as well as those looking for a spunky, contemporary boy with a mystery to solve. Reluctant readers will appreciate the book's large print and quick-paced story.Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego
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Foreign Customer Review / 国外客户评价: |
| As Derek tries to get out of reading both in school and during the summer, it is reading that gets him into his greatest trouble. Discovering an old newspaper in the attic Derek questions his mother about it but she will not answer him. Deciding that she is hiding something Derek makes it his mission to find out who Susan James is. When he finds out his best friend Matt is going to Martha's Vineyard Derek tries to go along since that is where Susan James died. Derek figures that's a good place to start investigating the death. His plans are thwarted. He manages to drive his parents crazy so he gets sent to Learning Camp for the summer. Turns out the teacher's pet, Carly, is also there. How much worse can his summer get! Well, he's about to find out.
I loved My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian. It is funny, sad, and not what I expected. As Derek struggles to do his reading, he draws pictures of the words he doesn't know. In the margins of the book Janet Tashjian's son, Jake, does the same. The pictures enhance the book. Fantastic!
As Derek persists in following the mystery of the newspaper article his mother finally breaks down and tells him that Susan James was his babysitter when they were at Martha's Vineyard and died saving him from drowning. This still does not settle Derek. He wants to know more about her. Using the internet he discovers a website for her. People leave messages on it and he does too. Susan's mother responds to it. Derek knows not to let his parents know about the contact.
Eventually though he needs to learn more about Susan. He convinces (nags) his parents into visiting his grandmother in Boston. They go and revisit the beach at Martha's Vineyard. They also meet a friend of Susan's who was with Susan and Derek at the beach. She tells them what happened. When Derek's mom finds out the truth she is incensed. She wants to confront Susan's mother. When the opportunity arrives, she is unable to do it.
Derek is a scream. The more outrageous an idea, the more Derek pursues it but he learns so much that summer. He learns that Carly is a better James Bond then he and Matt. He learns to make movies in his head when reading. That's what I've done for years. He learns that sometimes, even if you have the truth, it is better to sacrifice and allow a person her memories so she can get through her life.
My Life as a Book is a wonderful read for both children and their parents. Derek and his lessons will be with me for a long time. This is a book I will not forget.
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