My Life as a Book

June 28, 2010
When 12-year-old Derek discovers an old newspaper article in his attic about a girl "found dead" on a beach, he becomes obsessed, especially when he learn the teenager may have died saving him from the ocean when he was just a toddler. Derek is a mischievous boy who enjoys using avocados as grenades more than reading, but as he uncovers the truth about what happened 10 years ago from those who were there, he discovers he is "surrounded by stories" both tragic and inspiring. Readers may not quite understand the intensity of Derek's obsession, which takes him from his home in California to Martha's Vineyard, where the accident took place, but his story moves quickly, thanks in part to stick figures drawn in the book's margins by Derek to define "vocabulary words." Some of these illustrations, drawn by Tashjian's 14-year-old son, Jake, are quite clever ("injustice" shows two irate students reading a sign saying "School on Saturday"). Derek's concluding speech may strain credibility, but a relatable and fun format make this a smart choice for "reluctant" readers—like Derek. Ages 9–12.

Starred review from June 15, 2010

Twelve-year-old Derek—a notoriously reluctant reader of everything but Calvin and Hobbes—would rather set the grass on fire with his sister's old sunlamp than tackle his summer reading list. More than that, though, he wants to figure out why his mom's acting so weird about the ten-year-old article he found from a Martha's Vineyard newspaper entitled "LOCAL GIRL FOUND DEAD ON BEACH." That mystery threads throughout this engaging middle-grade novel, told in a dryly hilarious first-person voice. Words like "impulse" and "discipline" are illustrated Pictionary-style by the author's teenage son, mirroring Derek's vocabulary-building technique: "My parents insist I use this system all the time, so I usually pretend I'm a spy being tortured by Super Evildoers who force me to practice 'active reading' or be killed by a foreign assassin." When he's not making avocado grenades, the smart-alecky Derek reveals himself as an endearing softy who loves his friends, family and dog and is even capable, in time, of befriending—horrors!—the class goody-goody. A kinder, gentler Wimpy Kid with all the fun and more plot. (Fiction. 10-14)

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August 1, 2010

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Derek has been identified as a reluctant reader. He likes to read, but doesn't enjoy required materials. He says he prefers having his own adventures (tossing as hand grenades the avocados his mother is saving for dinner, climbing onto the roof with a croquet set to hit wooden balls into the satellite dish) to learning about someone else's life. When his teacher gives the class summer reading and writing assignments, Derek finds a way to distract himself from the task. He discovers an old newspaper clipping about a 17-year-old who drowned, and his mother explains that the teen was babysitting him at the time and died saving him. Derek is determined to learn more about her death and his involvement in it. The margins of this book feature vocabulary words illustrated with cartoons. The protagonist is by turns likable and irritating, but always interesting. He is sure to engage fans of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books (Abrams) as well as those looking for a spunky, contemporary boy with a mystery to solve. Reluctant readers will appreciate the book's large print and quick-paced story.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2010
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Twelve-year-old Derek is not a reader. His assignment to read three books over the summer stinks. But then something that he wants to read catches Dereks eye. In the attic, he finds a 10-year-old article about a teenage girl who drowned on a Marthas Vineyard beach. When he questions his mother about the article, her nervousness tells him somethings up, so he takes on the assignment of discovering what happened on the beach that day and why its important. Janet Tashjian, known for her young adult books, offers a novel thats part Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007), part intriguing mystery; yet the best element here is really the first-person voice, which captures so completely the pushes and pulls in the life of someone with learning disabilities. Derek is brash, careless, and usually willing to do something stupid. He is also bright, a talented artist, and smart enough to know when he has gone too far. Adding to the books effectiveness is a generous typeface that looks like printing and artwork by the authors 14-year-old son, Jake. Like the storys narrator, he uses stick figures to illustrate vocabulary words, and here they march down the margins. Some are simple depictions, like a handful of flowers for the word bouquet. Some take more thought: a sad face moving to a happier one for adapt. Give this to kids who think they dont like reading. It might change their minds.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)