Baby Be-Bop (Weetzie Bat) (Paperback)

by Francesca Lia Block (Author), David Diaz (Illustrator) "Dirk had known it since he could remember..." (more)
Key Phrases: golden lamp, Grandma Fifi, Tracey Stace, Just Silver (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Embroidering her prose with lushly romantic imagery, Block returns to the world of Weetzie Bat for this keenly felt story. A prequel of sorts to Weetzie Bat, the novel opens while Weetzie's best friend Dirk is still a child, lying on his mat at naptime. "Dirk had known it since he could remember"-known, that is, that he is gay. Tenderly raised by Grandma Fifi, famous for her pastries and her 1955 Pontiac convertible, Dirk struggles with love and fear: "He wanted to be strong and to love someone who was strong; he wanted to meet any gaze, to laugh under the brightest sunlight and never hide." After his first heartbreak, with his closest friend (who cannot accept Dirk's love nor his own for Dirk), Dirk battles more fiercely for identity; beaten up by a gang of punks, he slumps into semiconsciousness and is visited by his ancestors, each telling a haunting, lyrical tale of love, faith and self-acceptance. What might seem didactic from lesser writers becomes a gleaming gift from Block. Her extravagantly imaginative settings and finely honed perspectives remind the reader that there is magic everywhere. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal
Grade 10 Up?A prequel to the popular books about Weetzie Bat and her circle of quirky friends and relatives. This novel is about her best pal, Dirk, in his pre-Weetzie days. He's in high school (in L.A., of course), living with Grandma Fifi and struggling with how to come out to his best friend and soulmate. Although Dirk never does tell Pup he's gay, Pup feels the sexual tension between them: "'I love you, Dirk,' Pup said. 'But I can't handle it.'" In reaction, Dirk takes to slam dancing in punk joints. When a gang of gay bashers beats him up, he drags himself home and passes out. While he's unconscious, long-dead relatives he's never known come to him in what seem to be dreams; when he wakes in the hospital, he realizes that his grandmother has been telling him stories. Out of her comforting words about how others in his family have insisted on being themselves, his battered brain fashions hopeful hallucinations, including one of his future lover. His visions assure him that "There was love waiting; love would come." Block writes distinctively and convincingly, interweaving the hallucination scenes smoothly. She makes the power of stories felt?and here, more purposefully than ever before, she weaves a safety net of words for readers longing to feel at home with themselves. Gay teens in particular need this book. All fans of the series will relish meeting nice-guy Dirk as the tender Baby Be-Bop.?Claudia Morrow, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (April 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064471764
• ISBN-13: 978-0064471763
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #711,960 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Curious Venture, June 6, 2001

By	"starliterose" (Clinton, OH USA) - See all my reviews

In Block's latest venture, she explores the very core of human sexuality through the story of the embracable Dirk. His stunning pride and unshatterable spirit propel him through his confrontation of his homosexual self. Dirk is an amazing character and captures the reader's heart immeadiatly. His heartbreaking loss of his love interest, Pup, his turn to a "punk" nature and his suicide attempt guide the audience through a startlingly beautiful sureal journey as Dirk's ancestors come to his aid to help him accept who he is. The frightening veins of fantasy collide with stark (in)humanity through his confrontations with homophobics, hate and the neo-nazi. This is possibly Block's most triumphant work, encasing skillful characterization artfully blended with a lightspeed plot. For any fanatics of the highly reccommended Baby Be Bop, try Flemming's Mind's Eye.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Fairy Tale, September 30, 1999

By A Customer

I read the entire collection of Weezie Bat Books (under the volume title of Dangerous Angels) and I couldn't put it down. Block finds a way to deal with true human emotion in such an imaginative and creative way that it becomes almost sureal. She portrays the thoughts and ideas in a non threatening, almost fairytail like way. Yet still, she draws emotion and feeling and captivates her readers. And in the process, teaches them something about themselves. I hope anyone who is afraid to pick up a young adult book and truly enjoy it will like this one.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It was a wonderfully described, uncommon, story of struggle., May 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Baby Be-Bop (Hardcover)

I love Baby Be Bop because it beautifully confronts a subject that most people are afraid to touch. Lia Block describes the struggle of a boy from L.A., during what is assumed to be recent times, and how he is having trouble coming to terms with his homosexuality. My favorite aspect of Lia Block's writing is her avante-garde description. I am normally a person who hates reading, but I was unable to put down Baby Be Bop, as well as the preceeding four books of the Weetzie Bat series. The entire Weetzie Bat series is outstanding but only those who can appreciate the subject matter will get a full appreciation of it.