8 Plus 1
By Monica Wyatt,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sensitive portraits of kids growing up.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
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 are a great way to get teens reading; while this collection may not appeal to reluctant readers, its sensitive views about growing up 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.
Talk to Your Kids 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?
Book Details
- Author: Robert Cormier
- Genre: Short Stories
- Book type: Fiction
- Publication date: January 1, 1991
- Number of pages: 196
- Last updated: September 15, 2015
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate