Weiss, M. Jerry & Weiss, H. (Eds.). (2009).
This family is driving me crazy. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Short stories can be a wonderful way to entice a
reader into biting off just a little taste of what is between the covers of a
book. This light collection of family
related tales will satisfy anybody who has ever loved a family, wished for a
family or died of embarrassment because of a family. This
Family is Driving Me Crazy includes ten stories written expressly for this
anthology by talented YA authors such as Jack Gantos, Walter Dean Myers and
Joan Bauer. Containing accounts of
poignant, funny, absurd, light and serious family situations, this book is easy
to read but should not be dismissed as inconsequential. The stories are all written from a teen’s
point of view and address issues as diverse as divorce and criminal
behavior. Many of these authors have the
ability to make difficult subjects accessible to teen readers and to allow them
to see themselves within the premise of a story and to respond to it. Some stories, such as “Wimp of Sparta” by
Gordon Korman simply relate the struggles we all have to fit in and be accepted
for who we are—or aren’t. Others depict
scenarios that are more thought-provoking.
“American Teen,” written by Mel Glenn, is constructed as a series of short
sketches from teens across the country, many poetic in style. These glimpses into the lives of young people
illustrate both the joys of living in a family and the conflicts in families that
many adolescents wrestle with each day. Although
serious in parts, the overall sense of this compilation is light; many of the
stories express the theme that no matter how odd or difficult a family can be,
families are generally a very good thing to be part of.
This Family is Driving Me Crazy is easy
to read and can be recommended for readers as young as 4th or 5th
grade although the subject matter in a few stories may not be of great interest
to them. All of the protagonists in the collection
are teens; some stories are written in first person but even those that are not
still express the teen point of view. While
none of the writing is particularly harsh or explicit, a few topics explored may
make the book more suited to the middle and high school students who can better
understand the nuances and humor contained in them. One aspect of the anthology that bodes well
for recommending it to students is that there are an equal number of boys and
girls as protagonists and the subject matter that may be of interest to each
gender varies also. One of the beauties
of a short story collection is that the reader can skip a tale that is not as
appealing for whatever reason and lose nothing of the sense of an overall
theme. There is not one family model nor
one race or class of people that are on display in the book either. The editors have done a terrific job in
attracting a group of diverse authors whose writing talents encompass a broad
spectrum of topics and styles.
Related short story and author information:
This sounds like a book that many can relate with. This sounds like a book that my students might be interested in. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI also think this sounds like a great book. My students love Walter Dean Myers, as do I. I also love the title and think it would grab the attention of teenagers.
DeleteReally like this one. This will be one of my Mother's Day reads. Thanks for the inviting review!
ReplyDelete