 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
8 Plus 1
- By Robert Cormier
- Genre: Short Stories
Common Sense Media says
Sensitive portraits of kids growing up.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that the author introduces each story with an explanation of how he wrote it. The tales portray family life with teenagers, and how young people make good and bad decisions.
What's the story?
In nine short stories about family love, Robert Cormier presents both warm and melancholy portraits of kids growing up. One boy sacrifices his dream for his brother; another can't protect his black friend from prejudice. A father laments as his daughter leaves home, and two others betray their families. Together, the stories portray the drama inherent in family life.
Is it any good?
Short stories offer an excellent way to get teenagers reading. While this collection has little action and may not appeal to reluctant readers, its sensitive views about growing up in families do appeal to more avid readers. In two of the stories, "The Moustache" and "Guess What? I Almost Kissed My Father Goodnight," boys realize that their parents are individual people just as the boys are. Two stories deal with prejudice, religious and racial.
Perhaps the most heartwarming of the stories is "President Cleveland, Where Are You?" in which a boy and his friends become obsessed with collecting trading cards of presidents during the Depression. His older brother wants to take a girl to the dance, but has no money for shoes and a corsage for his girl. The boy sells his cherished President Cleveland card, and his brother goes to the dance. Readers must infer what has happened.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the kinds of decisions each of the young characters makes. Choose a favorite story or two, and put yourself in the main character's shoes. Would you behave the same way, or would you make different choices?
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| Author: | Robert Cormier |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Short Stories |
| Publication date: | January 1, 1991 |
| Number of pages: | 196 |
| Paperback price: | $5.50 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 12 - 14 |
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