Chapter Book Review - Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff

Ever felt that you just aren't quite -- right at something? That you are somehow falling short, and you may not know how, or why? I've certainly had that feeling many times in my life.( If you haven't had that feeling yet - and I can't imagine how you haven't -- let me assure you that parenting is one experience that will give you this impression time and time again. Woo boy!)

Those of us who have felt this way will absolutely relate to Albie, the protagonist in Lisa Graff's top-notch middle grade novel Absolutely Almost. Albie seems destined to go through life being not quite good enough at everything he does, to his great frustration. He can't seem to sort out why things he tries don't turn out the way he wants them to, and he seems to fall short in the estimation of the people he loves the most. But then Albie starts a new school, and gets a cool new babysitter - and suddenly Albie begins to realize that while he may not be great at math or reading, he's still perfectly great at being Albie.

I completely adored this novel, and it's all because of Albie. He's a fantastic character with a one-of-a-kind voice to match. Graff has drawn him splendidly, making him come alive on the page from the very first chapter. I love that Albie's passionate about things like donuts and excels at building models, even though he's often made to feel like his interests are somehow less appealing than others. (It's pretty clear that Albie has some delays, but Graff never defines or diagnoses - an aspect I really appreciated.) Your heart will go out to Albie, but don't pity him - though there are some really tough aspects of this book (bullies, his oblivious father), Albie's 100% the hero of this story. He transforms over the course of the book from bystander in his own life to a boy who knows where he's going, even if he's not quite there yet. 

Graff draws the reader into Albie's story through the ample use of humor and very realistic situations. She captures that sense of feeling powerless, when decisions that affect Albie's life are made without his input and he has to just go along with the ride. You'll cringe at some of the outcomes, but ultimately you'll end up cheering for a hero who's less Superman and more Captain Underpants -- and despite what Albie's mom thinks, that's pretty darn terrific. 

This is a terrific book to hand to kids who enjoyed Wonder or Counting by 7s, for a protagonist who is quirky and completely unique. Don't expect a neat resolution or a glossy happy ending from Absolutely Almost. It just wouldn't be true to the characters. But do expect a book with heart and soul, that will make readers think and feel, and most importantly help them put themselves in another's place. And expect to want donuts. . . lots and lots of donuts!

Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff, published by Philomel Books

Ages 9-12

Source: Library

First lines: "'Not everybody can be the rock at the top of the rock pile.' That's what my Grandpa Park said to my mom once when they thought I was asleep, or just not listening, I don't know. But my ears work fine. 'There have to be some rocks at the bottom, to support those at the top.'"

Highly recommended

Back to Front and Upside Down by Claire Alexander {The Children's Bookshelf}

Do you follow the awards circuit? I have to admit that when it comes to movies and tv shows, I'm often not especially fond of the ones that win all the major awards (though this may be down to the fact that now I'm a mom, there's precious little time to watch anything at all!). But when it comes to books I am glued to the awards and best-of lists. This is partly because I want to see my favorites win (alas, my pick didn't take the Caldecott or even an honor this year - sob!). But it's also because there are so many new books coming out each year that it's impossible to see them all, and the awards help me get a bead on some titles that flew under my radar.

Such is the case with Claire Alexander's Schneider Award winner Back to Front and Upside Down! The Schneider is one of my favorites of the ALA Awards - each year it is given to a book that best exemplifies the experience of a person with a disability. If you want to teach your kids about persons of varying abilities, this is an excellent list of titles to begin the discussion. Alexander's title won in the picture book division, and one read-through shows you exactly why, as it deals with the subject of dyslexia and dysgraphia in a sensitive manner that's spot on for her audience.

Stan is excited to be making a birthday card for his principal, Mr. Slippers. That is, until the teacher announces the students must write "Happy Birthday to Mr. Slippers" on their card. Stan panics. No matter how hard he tries, his letters don't come out the way everyone else's do. Instead, Stan's are a jumble, and some don't even look like letters! As he watches all the other children finishing their cards, with what looks like no effort at all, Stan gets more and more upset. Fortunately his friend convinces Stan to ask the teacher for help - and once he screws up his courage and does it, Stan discovers he isn't alone.

Sprout loves the part where Stan and Mimi practice their letters over and over, until they get them right. We're at the stage with him where he's just starting to string his name together, and some letters are giving him trouble, so I think he relates to how Stan feels. We work on writing the individual letters, on perfecting our fine motor skills and learning how to hold the pencil. But it's tough work, and Sprout knows the frustration Alexander depicts in her book - he's sensitive to the isolation Stan feels, I think, because other kids in his class are writing their names already, while Sprout isn't quite yet.

Readers who've felt the isolation of thinking you're the only one who can't do something the right way will instantly identify with Stan's struggle. But kids who haven't felt that way -- yet -- will connect with this one too, because of the way Alexander's text draws the reader into the emotional component of this experience. One spread in particular does this best - Stan, all alone at his desk, small against a black background. The power of this single image alone is palpable, and makes the resolution, where Stan triumphantly presents Mr. Slippers with his completed card, all the more worthwhile.

Back to Front and Upside Down! by Claire Alexander, Eerdman's Books for Young Readers
Ages 3-5
Source: Library
Sample: "Stan looked at Jack. He was busy writing his card. He looked at Lucy. She was writing her card too. Tommy had finished and was writing his name! Stan's paws began to sweat and his heart pounded loudly in his chest."
Recommended
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Audio Review - The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine

Mike Frost knows a little something about unusual people. After all, his dad is not what you'd call a normal guy -- math genius, yes, but not like other guy's dads. But having an odd dad doesn't prepare Mike for spending the summer with relatives he's never met. Poppy and Moo, Mike's great-uncle and great-aunt, are certainly strange. Moo names inanimate objects and thinks her car, Tyrone, has a mind of his own. Poppy doesn't talk to anyone and rarely even moves out of his chair. And the more Mike gets to know Poppy and Moo's friends and neighbrs, the more Mike realizes that his relatives are hardly the oddest ducks in town.

To top that off, Mike's supposed to be working on an engineering project with Poppy. In fact, that's why Mike's dad sent him out here for the summer. But instead, Mike soon finds himself deeply embroiled in a fundraising drive to help Moo's friend adopt a child from Romania. Before long Mike is coordinating town events, working out of a homeless man's "office", and trying everything to get Moo to give up driving Tyrone. Oh, and above all, keeping his dad from finding out what he's really working on. This is turning out to be way more complicated than a physics problem!

I am really torn about how I feel about The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine. On the one hand, there are some great lessons to be had here, about grief and loss, about coming to terms with major life shifts, and learning to find the secret strength within yourself. Mike is pretty down on himself when the book opens, mainly because he feels he'll never live up to his father's dreams thanks to his learning disabilities. It's only when Mike starts reaching out and helping others -- Moo, Past, Misha in Romania -- that he is able to see the potential for his own future. In addition, Mike learns a little something about making things happen, and how real life is not black-and-white like a math equation.  The best part is that Erskine delivers all of these big truths in a fast-paced, hilarious narrative. Really, there are some moments you have to hear to believe, especially where the always entertaining Moo is concerned (voiced surprisingly convincingly by Noah Galvin).

But, as an adoptive parent, I did have some issues with the way the whole "bring home an orphan from Romania" storyline was handled. First, there are many, many references to "saving" Misha by bringing him to the US. This is a tough one, because it implies that international adoption is the only solution for Misha. While it's true that in many countries domestic adoption is unpopular or nonexistent, most of us agree that the best thing is for children to stay in their home country. Leaving behind your home and heritage represents a compromise that many times will result in a lot of grief and loss for a child, who will not necessarily be grateful to be in another country.

Another point that bothered me is that Mike and his friends take on the fundraising and paperwork completion for the prospective adoptive parent. This is just not how things work in international adoption, as most of us know -- ethical adoptions require months and years of paperwork, background checks, verifications, and most of all legal processes on the parts of both countries. This is not something that a third party can do for you; as a prospective adoptive parent, you have to do all of this work on your own. Much of this has to be in place before a family is ever matched with a child. And the idea that the money can be cobbled together in less than a month, while it makes for great dramatic tension, is just unbelievable in all senses.

These are small points (and there are others) that won't get in the way of the story for most people. For me, though, it gave me pause, mainly because of the way the potential mother is written -- as though she is barely involved in her own adoption process, and that she perceives herself as "saving" a child. If Sprout does read this when he's older, it will give us the opportunity to talk about how people outside the adoption community view the process. We can talk about how much a child gives up when he/she is adopted, and how that might make a child like Misha feel. We can discuss parental motivations in adoption, and how it's critical to think more about parenting in the long haul rather than just completing the adoption. And we can talk about how wonderful it is that this town pulls together to make the adoption a reality -- and how that is a very simplified look at a complicated, and life-altering process for all involved.

Bottom line: I'd still recommend this, but with reservations. It is hard for me to get around the absolutely idealized version of international adoption, and the larger messages that sends about relationships and family bonds. It's definitely a novel with a great deal of heart, and one whose characters will make you laugh and cry in just about equal measures; if you can look past the adoption missteps, you'll find a great deal of value here.

The Absolute Value of Mike by Kathryn Erskine, audio published by Recorded Books
Ages 12 up
Source: Library
Recommended, with reservations