My Life as a Book

Tashjian, J. (2010). My life as a book. (Tashjian, J. illus.). Christy Ottaviano Books. 244 pages. ISBN 9780805089035

Primary genre: realistic fiction

Other elements: family, friendship, humor, adventure

Intended reader age: 9 and up

Synopsis:

Derek Fallon does not like to read and he especially does not like that teachers, librarians, and his parents keep trying to force him to read things that do not interest him. Summer is just a few days away and he already has begun planning all kinds of adventures. But all of those plans are put on hold when his teacher assigns a reading list, his friend goes on vacation, and his parents enroll him in Learning Camp. It is the discovery of a family secret, one that has been hidden from him for 10 years, that changes Derek’s opinion of this summer. He is determined to learn everything he can about this secret no matter what.

Review:

I definitely enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I was initially annoyed and very surprised with the actions of the main character. (Apparently one of his favorite ways to annoy his parents involves climbing on the roof to hit the satellite dish so the signal goes out!) But I think I went in reading it as too much of an adult. When I actually put aside those thoughts and just read to immerse myself I enjoyed it a great deal. Derek is a kid who knows where the line is and exactly how far he can push it.

I liked the illustrations and how the author used them. They follow a style similar to Wimpy Kid with very basic, stick figures through out. One of the tactics Derek’s teacher employed to interest him in reading was assigning him to illustrate the words he did not know from his reading. So through the book, the illustrations in the margins are words that Derek illustrates for his assignment. The author choose words that young readers might struggle with like monumental, canister, fidget, etc. This is great for all types of readers including visual learners and even reluctant readers are likely to enjoy this story. The protagonist hates reading (he refers to his reading tutor as ‘a nice woman named SATAN!’) and he doesn’t really get a lot of ‘reading’ done through the story. The definition of reading that the adults hold in the story is reading from traditional forms of literature. Derek will read, he particularly enjoys comics like Calvin and Hobbs, but the adults in his life do not see that as actual reading. I think this is something many young readers encounter. Their idea of reading (be it comics, magazines, or online) are not viewed as appropriate by adults and they are steered towards things that do not interest them.

There is another book in the series, My Life as a Stuntboy, and a third, My Life as a Cartoonist, is scheduled for release at the end of April.

The new cover for the paperback release.