Reviews: (by author)

(2 Reviews)

Paulsen, Gary. The Amazing Life of Birds: Duane’s Puberty Journal. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2006. ISBN 0-385-74660-1. $13.95 U.S/ $18.95 Can. Ages 10-14. www.randomhouse.com/teens www.garypaulsen.com

Zits. Insecurity. Awkwardness. Awareness of the opposite sex. Gary Paulsen, author of the Newberry Honor book Hatchet, brings laughter to these hallmarks of adolescence in The Amazing Life of Birds, a fictional first person narrative. For twenty days, readers are privy to twelve year old Duane Homer Leech’s trials and tribulations through puberty. He tries to hide his pimples with Band-Aids. He trips over his shoelaces in the cafeteria, spilling his barely-edible lunch—over a pretty girl. He knocks down shelves in the school library. Duane is not the coolest kid in school, although it seems he is the clumsiest. But, he is a pretty cool kid. Duane’s self-deprecating sense of humor and his earnestness make us root for him to get through the next day and the next.

As well as his blunders, Duane also records the growth of a baby bird he observes in the bird nest in the tree outside his bedroom window. And just as Duane watches the baby bird grow and struggle to fly for the first time, we watch Duane.

There are no major conflicts or antagonists, no enemies to fight, not even bullies to face—just Duane trying to survive each day in his life, both at home and at school. Despite its depiction of the mundane, or perhaps because of it, the short novel is engaging and moving. Duane describes a realization:

I had a sudden mental picture of a time when I was maybe three, no, four years old. I had a yellow metal bulldozer and was pretending that I was a heavy equipment operator making a road in a sandbox in back of my grandmother’s house.

I started to cry and was glad it was dark and Willy couldn’t see me.

I knew all that was gone. I would never be able to pretend again, not in that way. The model plane I was building would always be just that, a model. I wouldn’t be able to hold it up and make sounds and see it flying over Vietnam with my grandfather in the pilot’s seat.

And while part of me seemed glad to grow, another part missed that moment so much that it almost physically hurt. (p.39-40)

Paulsen beautifully and heart-achingly depicts the loss and gains of growing up and being stuck in transition. The overall tone of the book, however, is comedic and the ending is hopeful, unlike other books that broach the same issues like Judy Blume’s Then Again, Maybe I Won’t.

The book’s weakness is the very fact that you can’t entirely forget that it is written by an adult. For example, Duane says, “Again, if other people weren’t having perfectly innocent images turn into soft-core porn, why was I?” (p.69). What twelve year old knows what pornography is, let alone the difference between hardcore and soft? (Perhaps I underestimate today’s youth?)

Nevertheless, The Amazing Life of Birds is a read worth making time for, whether you’re going through puberty or already past it.

Marie Soriano, June 2007

Paulsen, Gary.  The Glass Café . New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2003. $12.95 Hardcover. ISBN 0-385-32499-5, 99 pp.
www.randomhouse.com/kids Adolescent/YA

Tony is writing his first book at the young age of twelve.   He is a talented and determined boy with much to talk about, including his mother's life as a stripper or, as Al calls herself, a "provocative dancer."   Although her profession is a questionable one, it's obvious that Al is a wonderful mother who loves her son tremendously.   She feels privileged to be raising her son alone, with no help from the government or the father.   She is not in any way ashamed of what she does.   Nor is Tony for that matter; he believes he is very fortunate.   The conflict, however, begins when Tony discovers the art of the human figure.   His fascination for drawing nude women takes him to the dressing room at the Kitty Kat Club, and then to the courthouse where his mother is on trial for false child abuse charges.   Tony's art teacher thinks his pictures are extremely good and display great talent; but as soon as they fall into the wrong hands, artistic ability turns pornographic, and Al is faced with the danger of losing her son.   But as the story of The Glass Café goes, people are made to think things and then to want more.   So I'll stop right here!

Reviewed by Rebekah Tobias, 2004

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