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Book Review: "My So-Called Family"
Here at IML we absolutely love hearing you talk about your families, and it's clear that while every family is different, the big things are pretty much the same for everyone. Just take a look at any You Said It page in our Family section, and you're bound to find a post that makes you think, "Yes! It's the same at my house!"
We were excited to check out "My So-Called Family" by Courtney Sheinmel (Simon & Schuster). This book was originally released in hardcover last fall, but the paperback edition will be available on September 15, 2009. It's a story that asks the question "What makes a family?" -- a question that forces us to look at how different families can look similar when it comes to what's important.
In "My So-Called Family," thirteen-year-old Leah is different. Her
friends at her new school in New York have two parents, but she knows her
father only as Donor 730 -- his identity in the Lyon's Reproductive Services catalog.
Leah has a loving family, including a mother, a step-dad and a half-brother,
but when her brother gets an assignment from school to draw a family tree, Leah
realizes she wants to learn more about her own roots...setting off a chain of
events that lead to an exciting discovery: she has a slew of half-siblings,
including a girl close to her own age.
She's willing to do anything to meet them, even if it means keeping her
new family a secret from her mom.
While Leah's situation might be unusual, her quest to
find -- and define -- her family leads her to issues we can all relate to,
like trying to fit in, navigating a new school, and feeling lonely... not to
mention her changing relationship with her mom and the changes her body is
going through. We particularly enjoyed Leah's relationship with her five-year-old brother, and her friends' relationships with their
siblings provide interesting contrast to Leah's. With writing that's fast-paced and funny, Sheinmel will keep you
turning pages until you finally find out how Leah will reconcile her biological
family with the family she's grown up with.
IML's Rating: A-
Book Review: "Alibi Junior High"
There's just something about a new-kid-in-town story that appeals to everyone, probably because the idea of starting over in an unfamiliar place -- at a new school, with new people, with a whole new set of rules -- can be terrifying. It's a good springboard for adventure, so many stories for young people grab onto this theme (you know, like those little tales of "Twilight" and "Harry Potter"). We recently found a great new book that twists it in a way you might not have seen before.
In "Alibi Junior High" by Greg Logsted (Simon and Schuster), 13-year-old Cody Saron comes to live with his aunt and start junior high. But Cody hasn't just moved; he's in hiding. For years, he's traveled the globe with his father, an undercover CIA agent who's taught him five languages, martial arts, and some serious spy-skills. But after they survive a cafe bombing meant to kill them, the safest place for Cody is the Connecticut suburbs. Cody finds that the dangers of international espionage are nothing compared to an ordinary day of junior high, where everyone thinks he's a freak, teachers are convinced he's trouble, and something as simple as a first crush leaves him totally clueless. (Too bad he doesn't have IML to help him! He could have gotten lots of advice about Middle School, Bullies, and When Your Family Moves.)
It doesn't help that he's still traumatized by the bombing and has never had any friends besides his dad. The only people he can relate to is his aunt Jenny, whose sister is the mom Cody lost when he was 2, and his neighbor Andy, who's just returned home from a tour of duty in Iraq. Can Cody stay true to who he is and also survive the strange new world of middle school? And who's that guy in the woods who seems to be watching the house?
The writing in "Alibi Junior High" is funny and honest and feels very real. Even though he's got a unique story, Cody's just one of those characters -- a new kid, an outsider -- who we can all can relate to in some way. We think guys as well as girls will enjoy it.
IML's rating: A (for Alibi!)
