My Life as a Book (My Life Series #1)

by Janet Tashjian, Jake Tashjian (Illustrator)

Overview

Derek Fallon has trouble sitting still and reading. But creating cartoons of his vocabulary words comes easy. If only life were as simple!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312672898
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/13/2011
Series:	My Life Series , #1
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	14,000
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	880L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Janet Tashjian is the author of acclaimed books for young adults, including The Gospel According to Larry, Vote for Larry, Fault Line, and Multiple Choice. Disney adapted Tru Confessions into a television movie starring Clara Bryant and Shia LaBeouf. Tashjian studied at the University of Rhode Island and Emerson College. She lives in Needham, Massachusetts, with her family.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Janet Tashjian, known for her young adult books, offers a novel that’s 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. . . . Give this to kids who think they don’t like reading. It might change their minds.”—Booklist, Starred Review

“A kinder, gentler Wimpy Kid with all the fun and more plot.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“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.”—School Library Journal

“[The] illustrations, drawn by Tashjian’s 14-year-old son, Jake, are quite clever.”—Publishers Weekly

“My Life as a Book is a fabulous, fast-paced choice for reluctant and avid readers alike.”—BookPage

“Cartoon drawings by the author’s teenaged son decorate the margins and not only re-create Derek’s illustrated vocabulary lists but also reduce the amount of text on each page, making the book more approachable for kids like Derek. Derek tells readers, ‘If my life were a book, I’d have my own cool adventures.’ It is, and he does.”—The Horn Book

“This book is visually appealing to reluctant readers and shows that all kinds of stories can surprise us.”—Chicago Tribune

Editorial Reviews

This book is visually appealing to reluctant readers and shows that all kinds of stories can surprise us.

Chicago Tribune

My Life as a Book is a fabulous, fast-paced choice for reluctant and avid readers alike.

BookPage

Janet Tashjian, known for her young adult books, offers a novel that's 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. . . . Give this to kids who think they don't like reading. It might change their minds.

Starred Review Booklist

Cartoon drawings by the author's teenaged son decorate the margins and not only re-create Derek's illustrated vocabulary lists but also reduce the amount of text on each page, making the book more approachable for kids like Derek. Derek tells readers, 'If my life were a book, I'd have my own cool adventures.' It is, and he does.

The Horn Book

Janet Tashjian, known for her young adult books, offers a novel that's 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 . . . . Give this to kids who think they don't like reading. It might change their minds.

Booklist Starred

Amusing stick figures accompany Derek's narration, dutifully following his teacher's suggestion of animating any difficult vocabulary word.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Cartoon drawings by the author's teenaged son decorate the margins and not only re-create Derek's illustrated vocabulary lists but also reduce the amount of text on each page, making the book more approachable for kids like Derek. Derek tells readers, "If my life were a book, I'd have my own cool adventures." It is, and he does." -Horn Book

From the Publisher