Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this book is a sure-hit with both male and female middle school readers. The dialog keeps the tone light while the book touches on some heavy themes, including plenty of lying by the main character (for starters, he's adopted from China and tells his peers his whole family is Chinese), a con-artist abusive father is in jail, a mother and son struggle financially, another mother deserts her daughter and husband, and a bully punches the main character. There's some mild romance that is more wishful than anything. At the end there is a lesson about facing the truth.
Families can talk about where San went wrong. He lies to everyone, yet why do readers feel empathy for him? Do you think his actions are forgivable? Are the challenges of San and his peers realistic? In the end did Buddhism actually give San the strength to face those he hurt?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Pam Gelman
Who wants to stand out in the middle school years? Certainly not San Lee, the main character in ZEN AND THE ART OF FAKING IT. This teen, who has moved more times in his youth than most move in a lifetime, has learned the trick to surviving adolescence: Find any way you can to fit in. So he becomes the class expert on Zen Buddhism. A quirky idea, but San's new persona fits with the fact that he's Chinese --though unbeknownst to his classmates, he's the adopted son of white parents, and his dad, a con artist, is in jail.
There's so much going on in San's head that his insight into his world -- though it seems unrealistically developed for his age -- is a real treat for the reader. His big crush on a female classmate is full of authentic details. He relates his anger toward his father to his constant lying to classmates. And his self-deprecating humor and sarcasm are spot-on funny.
Teen readers will also relate to San's attitudes toward his classmates -- bullies, girls, jocks -- and his awkwardness around other kids. But the author missed an opportunity to talk more about racial attitudes and stereotypes; it's all handled too subtly.
Ultimately San teaches readers what happens when lies are revealed, that is, about the importance of character and humility.
From The Book
Huh, I actually did know this. And I was the perfect guy to answer it, since I had been adopted and adapted FROM China. But was I the kind of shy kid who answered teachers' questions, or the kind who crumbled under the glare of full-class scrutiny? Should I mumble "I don't know?" Fall off my chair again? Faint, and hope that Woody would seize the opportunity to revive me with mouth-to-mouth?
Plot Summary:
Eighth grader San Lee moves to Pennsylvania with his mother and starts yet another new school. His father is serving time for some cons performed across the country, dragging the family along each time. Being the new kid, San is trying to figure out who to pretend to be to fit in with his peers. He impresses his teacher and classmates with his answers on Zen so he becomes San, the Zen kid at school. He sits on a rock meditating before school, wears socks with sandals in winter, and professes not to need any "earthly attachments."
Except he has a big crush on a female classmate. They work on a project together, share details about their lives (his are all lies), but he thinks the attraction is largely based on him being an expert on Zen. They volunteer together at a soup kitchen and teach the B level school basketball team how to use Zen in the game. San's new life is going well, but of course eventually his lies will have to catch up with him.
Related Books:
More from the Author:
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie
Notes from the Midnight Driver
Zen for Teens:
The author recommends The Little Zen Companion by David Schiller
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Sexual ContentA 13-year-old boy and girl flirt and almost kiss. Sixth grader can't go home for one hour while his older sister is in the house with a boyfriend. |
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ViolenceOne punch in the nose. A father and mother hit and slap their son. |
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LanguageSome use of "freakin'" and "screw you." |
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Social BehaviorAdopted boy lies to peers, telling them that his whole family is Chinese. Reference to boys' basketball team playing "like a bunch of little girls." A single mom struggles financially while her husband serves time in jail. Two teachers and a librarian are strong adult role models. A mother has antiquated ideas about diversity and San's Chinese background. |
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CommercialismMainstream products include: Nike, KFC, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Xbox, iPod, Madonna, Britney Spears. |
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