A boy's perspective reminds an adult...
585648
...what it was like to be a child growing up in Michigan, although I came along later in the late 1950's.  What a great story about early day Flushing, Michigan, a town not far away from my home town of Owosso.  In fact, the book mentions Owosso once, but the experiences that Edmund Love writes about are far and above those of an ordinary child.  Edmund G. Love is a talented story teller and with this novel he is sure to keep you captivated throughout.

This book was recommended to me by my father's late cousin, Bobbie Whitbeck (1916-2004) of Battle Creek, Michigan, for she was the person who opened up our family's past to me in great detail.  Inter-twining one generation to the next through stories and her memories, she opened up my connection to our family's heritage.  I began to ask questions about life in the early 1900's in Michigan, and she recommended this book as the best description of growing up in the area and that era.  She was right on.

I'm also reading "Subways are for Sleeping," another book by this same author, and what a great perspective on the homeless culture of our America.

Thank you Edmund.  I've been through "The Situation in Flushing" twice now, and am reading it a third time, this time to my 8 year-old son for great bedtime reading.
2149827
The Krasners moved a few months ago to the town of Glen Haven, an hour drive from where they previously lived. Although it is not mentioned why this move took place, I assumed it was related to the father's employment. Adam's older brother is Jeremy, in the seventh grade and attending the junior high school. Jeremy is neurologically impaired and needs tutors in the home plus takes special classes in school. After playing baseball at the neighborhood field Adam caught the attention of a seventh grader named Eddie Gordon. Adam is flattered that someone wants to be friends with him since his brother's outbursts usually cause others to bypass him.
Mr. Gordon is the coach for the Little League team where Adam and Eddie are both pitchers. Adam's Mother encourages him to have his brother involved in the same things, so Jeremy ends up on the Little League team, even though he hates it, but his Mother wants him to be around his peers. Eddie has been picking on Jeremy since they moved into town, but Adam is not really aware of this due to being at different schools, so he ignores his brother's constant complaining of how Eddie calls him a retard on the bus and looks at him with mean eyes.
Throughout And Don't Bring Jeremy are many conversations with Adam, Jeremy and their parents at the kitchen table. It is quite funny to read how the author was able to convey just what a sixth and seventh grader feel and how they describe certain aspects of their parents in detailed observations. When Adam remarks how when his Mother makes a certain noise with her nose when she is exasperated I chuckled and tried to imagine such a noise! It is clear that his Mother has the last word all the time, but on the other hand she tends to push Jeremy off onto Adam and that seems unreasonable at times. I felt as a parent there was a lack of parental involvement on her part as she was always busy fixing and decorating the new house.
Jeremy likes to take his bike and ride around the block and this worries Adam, but as Jeremy says he is older and can do it too. But there is a third grader down the street that Jeremy stops and plays with to the discord of his Mother. She has repeatedly warned Jeremy to not go there and try to make friends with kids his own age.
Adam has described his brother as walking funny, eating gross and dressing sloppy with frequent outbursts that always caught him off guard and waiting for the next one to happen. He could feel when they were in stores and shopping that people were looking at them as the family with that boy.
And Don't Bring Jeremy is a quick and easy read for an Adult and geared to those who are between the ages of nine and twelve, especially anyone in the sixth and/or seventh grades. This would help those that have a child that is different in preparing for what is ahead once the child is at this age or grade level. The author has really captured the feelings of Adam and what he goes through on a daily basis because his brother is different.
Much of the story centers on the baseball game and how they make it to the All-Star Game as well as the friction between Eddie and Adam over pitching and the fact that Jeremy is jealous of his brother. Adam is cautious around Mr. Gordon as well because he is Eddies' Father and thinks he looks like a Sergeant.
I was very pleased to read And Don't Bring Jeremy, highly recommending this for anyone who has a child in this age range to teach about compassion and understanding of those who are challenged and different. I loved the way the boys transformed through the pages and really got a sense of being there with them in the town of Glen Haven. This would make a wonderful summer read to introduce a young reader to the trials and tribulations of living with a sibling that has a disability
4973585
Although spoken through a young person's experience, I, a grandmother, learned much.  Each person in this boy's life in the course of a year has an impact on his maturation. It takes a deep look into fear, desperation, acceptance and love.
2181122
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Rainbow-Stick-Boy-A-children-s-picture-book-about-diversity-and-the-beauty-within/dp/B008IXP7Q8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Rainbow Stick Boy (A children's picture book about diversity, and the beauty within)</a>

The Rainbow Stick Boy is about a little stick boy whose parents and all of the rest of the community is one solid color but Huey the stick boy is a mix of all of the colors of the rainbow. For this reason alone he appears to be different and is misunderstood by the people that he encounters. He gets lonely at times and he tries to change his appearance but that makes him stand out even more. Huey encounter people who doesn't understand why he is not like them, but he also encounters people who do not understand why he's different but they are still accepting of him. I think the author made a good point in showing that even though Huey was differnt from everyone else, he did not think that something was wrong with the other people around him because they were not like him. He just accepted them as they were. He even made a friend who was totally differnt from him, the friend happened to be an orange, lived on the other side of the tracks and also happened to be a girl. This book shows children that we are all different in one form or another but that it is okay to be different and we should be accepting of  ourselves and others just the way they are. Not only can children benefit from this book but so can adults.
1131131
This is a true story of the main character's life after the death of his parents. In the plot, he is caring for and bringing up his younger brother as best as he can. At the same time he is trying to juggle his career and life's responsibilities while figuring out his place in the world. Author rambles at times as a stream of consciousness flows from his head onto the page.
4343588
Well written story with the main character Phil having thoughts that many kids (due to our segregated society) can relate to, as well as how our own interactions with others can affect how others interact with us (seen through Phil's and Daniel's words & actions). As kids read this, they can relate to wondering about their own thoughts (in many areas of life) and whether are not they are "bad" thoughts and how the thoughts got there. The book does a great job of getting across the message about prejudging others without being preachy. The dialogue is also very naturally written for kids around their ages.

Another reviewer wrote that the book doesn't give a clear understanding as to "why" and "how" Phil initially feels that he is prejudiced. I totally disagree here! As you read Phil's contemplations, you clearly get why he feels he might be prejudiced--because of his thoughts, as well as him point blank asking him mom if he's prejudiced.

Some reviewers noted the book being a little thin/short. Its six chapters (although for some reason or another the author calls them parts which I find odd) and 89 pages. Although it is a chapter book, I agree somewhat here as there could have been more development at the end between Phil and Daniel with their respective activities and friends. Maybe a sequel with some challenges they have incorporating their groups? Perhaps we'll all stay tuned...
4623412
in the end a person's perspective can change and Drac realizes his grandson should be accepted for who his and love means more than others opinions and judgements
3263497
The author has the skill to fully immerse the reader in his world and make the reader feel what the character is thinking, seeing, and experiencing. It's an interesting look at the kind of upbringing that's hidden from most of us in our pleasant suburban neighborhoods, and there is plenty of food for thought in the book on how families, communities, and society as a whole work (or don't work). But despite the heavy nature of the thoughts it inspires, the main character, and the book along with him, manages to maintain a sense of boyish reality that makes reading this book both a delightful and a painful experience.
3816801
In most coming-of-age novels about friends, the friends are "initiated into adulthood" as they learn and experience.  In Now You See Him, Nicholas Framingham's experiences and growth come through his childhood best friend, Rob Castor.  However, Castor's untimely death, through a murder-suicide, occurs halfway through the second page. Nick's growth throughout the book cannot coincide with his childhood friend's; however, in death, Rob Castor has significant effect on the life of Nick Framingham.

Nick's life is, not surprisingly, turned upside down by this unexpected shock. His childhood memories become more crisp, more vivid, as he stumbles through the dark reality of the aftermath. Meanwhile, his wife, who has absolutely no idea what's going on in her husband's head, becomes increasingly annoyed to the point at which their marriage is on shaky ground. Add to Nick's blasts from the past, and his wife's insecurity: the presence of Rob's sister.

Nick's memories, when reviewed through his adult mind, indicate some things that are very wrong. As the book progresses, he learns some very uncomfortable truths. So does the reader.

Now You See Him is the first of Mr. Gottleib's books that I've read. It was a decent book (although I could hear my mother "screaming" at the behavior of the characters, as I read), and I would read something else by him if the quality were the same. I'd give the story a solid B.
4476902
A wonderful story of a young boy's outlook on life. The family dynamics is revealed through his eyes and expressed with honesty and simplicity. It's a tough life and there are certain ways he finds of dealing with his reality.
2262484
The cover picture is of a young boy, but this volume is actually the story of a father's deep suffering as he looks back on the life of his son.  The author is a British intellectual whose sharp mind and lucid style transform the struggle of disability into something deeper and more piercing.  As he looks back, Mr. Falconer's honesty about his fears and guilt draw you in, while his keen observations about young disabled life are a revelation for the unaware.  Thomas, his son, comes to life as a gifted but fragile mind constrained by spina bifida and other conditions.  This is not a happy ending book, but is rather written for those willing to look the hardships of life directly in the face, refusing to flinch.

This book will do two things for you: first, you will meet a man of courage, who in the written page, for all to see, has confessed and struggled with things which touch all men, yet about which few of those men are willing to be honest.  Second, you will gain a new perspective on the handicapped life, particularly if you have not lived with or worked for a handicapped person.  In the end, you will not be the same

[Full disclosure: this is the first time in my life I have read a non-fiction book while at the same time living as the guest of the author.  Mr. Falconer is my brother-in-law; Thomas my nephew.  However, I would have written the same thing if I had never personally known either]
668893
When thinking of Jesus as a child, I have been reminded of Anthony, the little boy in the Twilight Zone.  Anthony also had miraculous powers.  But he had the maturity and judgment of a little boy.  The entire town was enslaved to this brat, and lived in terror of him.  That's why the idea of Jesus as a child has been a mystery to me.  A naughty boy might break a window, but Jesus and Anthony could destroy the whole world.  That kind of power in the hands of a child is frightening.
This depiction of Jesus as a little boy is far more easy to accept.  He is an immature child, and without the realization of the powers he has.  This Holy Family also seems more normal than how one was taught in Catholic school.  It's even a bit dysfunctional.  Secrets are being kept.  The priority is preventing Jesus from knowing of many other babies murdered by the evil Herod because of him.  Also, they seem a bit paranoid about having the neighbors learn too much about them.  People talk.  Especially in small towns like Nazareth.
It's a credible story of an ordinary family challenged by an extraordinary child.  I'm looking forward to seeing the film,.
1285035
So often adult children believe they know so much better that their parents about how to live.  This book tells life from the older adult point of view.  Sad and funny all at the same time, this book shows the reality of getting older.
2052425
North Country is an autobiography of a challenging childhood lived in a milltown in upstate New York. It is written as a retrospective, full of philosophical musings and hindsight on why things ended up as they did - with understanding and perhaps forgiveness.

Story: Shane's father, a young out of work war vet, moves the family North for work. But a hard life has taken its toll on his father and he resorts to drinking and abuse as an outlet for frustrations. It's a cascade of repercussions that distances Shane from his mother and affects his sense of self. As an adult on a return plane trip home after a many years absence, Shane reflects on the moments of his life that most affected him - parents, friends, and life lessons.

The story is poignant - it isn't about a crazy twist at the end or a horrible life. His story is one of many similar across the US. What lends it its gravitas is the stream of consciousness remembrances and the perspective he gives them as an adult as he reminisces on the rocky flight home. The tone is languid and bittersweet, with a wonderful sense of pathos and resignation. It's not an angry memoir nor an indictment on his parents (e.g., not a Mommy Dearest).

The illustration style is assured and almost sweetly nostalgic. Lines are clean and panels well considered. The graphic novel is full color but various segments are highlighted with a reserved palette.

It was a good read. I really like self contained original stories and this is a story well written for the graphic novel format.
4766058
The young boy who is snatched from his childhood to train for the military is warm and real. He reacts to the life as it comes to find solutions to a grown up puzzle. Supposedly the adults know it all but do they?
1318254
As an adult with Asperger's I can say this book was an excellent depiction of someone such as myself.  Most importantly as Edward is telling the story he goes off on tangents as his mind connects dots in different ways much as mine does. An excellent book!
2323510
A sorry about gay rights from a young boys perspective.  His family and society's response to finding somewhere were he fits in.  He learns to be accepted but also how to look at the big picture of what his being different then other males means.  You will cry as this young man struggles with his identity and makes mature decisions.  Not a homosexual relationship book just a book about what being different feels like.