4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Green grow the rushes oh, June 12, 2005
I get a great many very specific requests as a children's librarian. Parents often want books for their kids that discuss bullying, a death in the family, or the advantages of being potty trained. One of the requests I have not yet received, but I expect to, is for books that contain children of divorce. Specifically a book series. There are remarkably few that I could spontaneously come up with off the top of my head but, "Amber Brown Is Green With Envy", a title in the popular Amber Brown series, is one of those few. Paula Danziger died on July 8, 2004 but her tender, well-written Amber books will remain a favorite of children everywhere for decades to come.
In this particular installment in the series, Amber Brown has adjusted to living with her father sometimes and her mother sometimes. When she's at her father's house, Amber enjoys spending time with his wacky upstairs neighbors. When she's at her mother's home, she enjoys her old friends and school. Unfortunately, this kind of perfect arrangement cannot last. Amber's mom and Max (her mom's boyfriend) are getting married soon, a fact that Amber is pleased about (and her dad is not). Unfortunately, this means that the new family is going to have to move into an entirely new house. Possibly out of town. Amber, faced with the prospect of losing all her friends, her favorite teacher, and her school is understandably upset. Fortunately, she's surrounded by caring adults that know exactly how to help her make her feelings known on this and many other subjects.
Amber Brown, as a character, is one of those fictional children that are a little more gifted than their real-life contemporaries. When Amber sits her mother down and explains to her why she's currently angry, she does so with a maturity that I wish most adults today had. The funny thing about Amber, aside from her wise-beyond-her-years speech, is that she's a likable character that isn't bratty in the least. Most books with characters of this sort, whether they be Junie B. Jones or Judy Moody, have a streak of preciousness to them. Not Amber. When she's angry or sad, she has every right in the world to be so. For example, when her father (after talking about how he wants to spend as much time with Amber as possible) leaves on a date on the same night that he promised Amber he'd go to the movies with her, she's furious. And with good reason. There's something particularly satisfying in the scene where she confronts him with this fact.
I should clarify that even if Amber Brown says things that a normal nine-year-old would probably be incapable of (even if they felt the way she did, they wouldn't have the ability to put those feelings into words) she's still a completely believable character. Full credit should also go to illustrator Tony Ross for his simple yet right-on-the-money pictures that accompany the tale. The more I read this book, the sadder I became that Paula Danziger will no longer be around to follow up on Amber's later years. Ah well.
Until reading this book I had no idea why my library branch had so many books in the Amber Brown series. Now I understand. A well-written series for kids that tackles a tough subject like divorce (and kids caught in the middle of it) doesn't come along every day. But when it's as beautifully penned as "Amber Brown Is Green With Envy", you'll never search for another.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Aftermath of Divorce, January 19, 2004
This review is from: Amber Brown is Green With Envy (Hardcover)
Amber Brown is a nine year old fourth grader whose parents have recently gotten divorced. If this were not enough,she also is dealing with her parents new social life. While she is visiting her dad's for the weekend, he decides to leave her at home to go on a date. In addition, her mom is getting remarried. And to top it all off, Amber is going to have to move from the house that she loves and has lived in all of her life to another house possibly in another town. All of these changes in Amber's life cause her to wish for a normal family. At times she is envious of her friend's families who seem to have it all together. Throughout the book we see a child who is dealing with the effects of a divorce and we are introduced to the many feelings she encounters with this major change. This is the first book in the Amber Series that I have read so far. I was impressed with the way Paula Danziger deals with the sensitive subject of divorce in a way that a child could relate to. I believe that this book could be invaluable to other children who are facing the issue of divorce and the changes that this brings. I also feel that this book is an excellent book for educators as well as parents to read in order to understand how divorce affects us all.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amber Brown's parents seem set on making her life difficult, December 14, 2003
This review is from: Amber Brown is Green With Envy (Hardcover)
In Amber Brown Is Green With Envy, Amber Brown's parents seem set on making her life difficult; from a father who goes on dates instead of being with her to a mother who wants to visit Disneyland - without her. Then her mother decides to marry Max and move them to a new house - and Amber can only envy friends who seem to lead a quieter, more stable life. Another fine Amber Brown dilemma builds.
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