By Barbara Girion. I couldn’t find a lot of information on her, she didn’t achieve Judy Blume status, but I think she is still alive. I did see that she wrote “Misty and Me”, I remember reading that and will tr6 to find it somewhere.
I was looking for something last week and found this book in a collection of books I had saved from childhood. I’m not sure why I saved this, I do remember liking it but it wasn’t a favorite. I won’t say how old the book is but it cost $1.95! The inside has my name in cursive and the back page I filled out my name and address for some read for MS thing- never sent it in I guess.
Why I liked this as a kid: it was a good story about the student who flies under the radar, sort of. It’s about how as kids we want our parents to be like all of parents, at least we think so. Also, it introduced me to Bat Mitzvahs, I’m sure I had heard of them at the time but it was not well known to me as a Catholic kid.
What I remember: I remember the mom being a workaholic and comments about her being a starving artist. Not sure why that has stuck with me but it did. I remember starting her a new school, I was about a year younger when I read it and I looked forward to starting middle school. Also, they talk about iced tea with mint in it and I love that.
Summary. Samatha is an only child about to start middle school. Her mom has written several children’s books but has just finished an adult novel. Sam’s best friend comes from a larger, more traditional family, with a mom who today would be described as a “trad wife”. When Sam’s mom’s boom comes out it creates a scandal as it is risqué and an embarrassment to Sam. Throughout this, Sam is trying to navigate life as a new middle schooler and find her voice.
What changed while reading it as an adult. First, I didn’t realize that the mom’s book dealt with affairs. That is scandalous, or was at the time. In the book her best friend’s older brother is a surrogate brother to Sam. I remember it being sweet but in reading it now it’s a bit creepy as he talks about her filling out. Not what the author intended, I’m sure but it hits differently now.
It makes sense that I identify and understand the parents more now than when I read as a child. Even though I don’t have kids I know that there is a struggle between being the stay-at-home parent and the working parent. Each both jealous yet critical of the other. Similar to those who have kids and those who don’t.
Sam talks about how she thinks of parents all being the same. I have said that before, we think of parents as homogenous units, not individuals. This is a theme in the book and I related to this more now.
If my memory is correct I bought this book during the summer. My friend and I went to the mall with her mom. I showed her mom the book and she said “Oh, great. You can read that over the summer”. I went home and read it all night, staying up later than I should have. I’m not sure if I finished it in one night. The crazy things I remember.
Happy reading.
Introverted runner and other stuff 