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    The Flame Alphabet

    Ben Marcus 9780307379375

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The Day My Mother Left

by James Prosek

The Day My Mother Left Cover

ISBN13: 9781416907701
ISBN10: 141690770x
All Product Details

 

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Jeremy's whole life changed the day his mother left.

When his mother leaves with the father of his worst enemy at school, nine-year-old Jeremy seeks to make sense of her abandonment. He throws himself into recreating the Book of Birds, a collection of drawings that his mother took with her on the day she left. While his father fights his own depression and his sister distances herself from their lives, Jeremy turns wholeheartedly to nature, and finds solace in the quiet comfort of drawing.

In this novel, James Prosek tells Jeremy's story without blame, without self-pity, and without excuses. The Day My Mother Left should be read by anyone who has gone through the pain of losing a parent, and by anyone who wants to meet Jeremy, a boy who can see inside himself the person he wants to become.

Review:

"Prosek (A Good Day's Fishing) movingly chronicles young Jeremy's emotional upheaval after his mother abandons the family, in this sophisticated novel. Often teased as a 'mama's boy,' Jeremy feels forlorn without his mother, who left to live with another man. As the boy's father slips into a deep depression, and his 16-year-old sister is increasingly absent, Jeremy seeks refuge with his beloved Uncle John (their celebration of the boy's 10th birthday draws upon the author's interest in fishing) and at the home of his best friend, Stephen. Throughout his ordeal, Jeremy's drawings give him a source of strength, and pen-and-inks attributed to Jeremy pepper the narrative. His father's girlfriend, Susan, reaches out to Jeremy by giving him some much-needed attention, along with art supplies that belonged to her father. The author credibly depicts how Susan's kindness demonstrates to Jeremy just how self-absorbed his mother had been. Prosek also conveys Jeremy's inner struggle after he learns that his mother has been in contact with his sister; the boy's feelings of confusion, betrayal and anger surface — even as he tries to suppress them. After three years, Jeremy eventually finds a way to reconnect with his mother on his terms, and readers will feel hopeful for the hero, even if he cannot yet recognize his own strength. Ages 12-up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:

barbahe, August 17, 2007 (view all comments by barbahe)
A simple story about a complicated family. This semi-autobiographical novel tells of an 11-year-old boy's experience of his mother's abandonment. Perhaps the book's greatest strength comes from Jeremy's ability to distill appropriate bits of insight from his mother's often twisted world view.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781416907701
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Subject:
Fishing
Illustrator:
Prosek, James
Author:
Ames
Author:
Prosek, James
Author:
Prosek, J
Subject:
Art (painting sculpture artists architecture etc.)
Subject:
Family problems
Subject:
Nature & the Natural World - General
Subject:
Situations / Emotions & Feelings
Subject:
Social Issues - Emotions & Feelings
Subject:
Social Issues - Abandonment
Subject:
Family
Publication Date:
20070227
Binding:
Hardback
Grade Level:
Young adult
Language:
English
Illustrations:
YES
Pages:
304
Dimensions:
7.25 x 5.5 in
Age Level:
12-12
The Day My Mother Left
0 stars - 0 reviews
$ In Stock
Product details 304 pages Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing - English 9781416907701 Reviews:
"Publishers Weekly Review" by , "Prosek (A Good Day's Fishing) movingly chronicles young Jeremy's emotional upheaval after his mother abandons the family, in this sophisticated novel. Often teased as a 'mama's boy,' Jeremy feels forlorn without his mother, who left to live with another man. As the boy's father slips into a deep depression, and his 16-year-old sister is increasingly absent, Jeremy seeks refuge with his beloved Uncle John (their celebration of the boy's 10th birthday draws upon the author's interest in fishing) and at the home of his best friend, Stephen. Throughout his ordeal, Jeremy's drawings give him a source of strength, and pen-and-inks attributed to Jeremy pepper the narrative. His father's girlfriend, Susan, reaches out to Jeremy by giving him some much-needed attention, along with art supplies that belonged to her father. The author credibly depicts how Susan's kindness demonstrates to Jeremy just how self-absorbed his mother had been. Prosek also conveys Jeremy's inner struggle after he learns that his mother has been in contact with his sister; the boy's feelings of confusion, betrayal and anger surface — even as he tries to suppress them. After three years, Jeremy eventually finds a way to reconnect with his mother on his terms, and readers will feel hopeful for the hero, even if he cannot yet recognize his own strength. Ages 12-up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
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