I Am the Universe [Hardcover]

Barbara Corcoran (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

The serious, responsible girl of the family has to contend with a number of problems, both funny and not so funny, when her mother has to have an operation.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Narrator Kit Esterly's first problem is the paper she has to write for her eight-grade English class on who she is. But she doesn't know who she is. Added to that are her mother's incessant headaches that turn out to be caused by a brain tumor, the disappearance of her younger brother Daniel's cat, preschooler Terry's demands for attention and teenage Andy's goofy behavior when he starts dating. Being the "sensible" one, Kit has to hold the family together while her mother is in the hospital. The strain takes its toll, and a tension-releasing prank lands her in police custody. But, ultimately, everything works out, and Mrs. Esterly returns home, her healthand Kit's happinessrestored. Corcoran (Face the Music, etc.) has beautifully captured a preteen's teetering between childish blunders and adult insights. A delightful character, Kit is a heroine despite herself. Like many 12-year-olds, she's funny when at her most serious, with wisecracks that come straight from the heart.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8 Corcoran's portrayal of a normal family holding together under stress is skillfully done. Kit's mother is operated on for a brain tumor, and the task of holding the family together falls to Kit. Her older brother seems like a stranger now that he is starting to date. Daniel, a genius, is failing third grade; her younger sister seems to need more and more attention. Kit is struggling with a theme entitled, "Who Am I?" This first-person narration is psychologically revealing, as Kit begins to learn more about herself and her strengths. Characterizations are excellent. The Esterly parents are wise and warm. Siblings, while they have moments of conflict, are kind and decent to each other. These strong characterizations also allow Corcoran to prick stereotypical thinking. An author imagined to be old turns out to be young and bumbling. A housewife fails at cooking, but a vagabond ex-war photographer flourishes in the kitchen. An auto accident produces a friend, not a lawsuit. Simple language ensures a wide readership, but the intellectual content is there for those who wish to pursue it. Cindy Darling Codell, Belmont Junior High School, Winchester, Ky.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 136 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (September 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689312083
• ISBN-13: 978-0689312083
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,943,741 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A story woven with warmth, humor & adolescent understanding., January 18, 2002

By 

Georgie Cavitt "an avid book reader" (Evans City, PA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: I Am the Universe (Hardcover)

When Kit learned she had to write a paper called "Who I Am" for her English class, it was the last straw to her. She felt as if she hardly had time to think, let alone write. Kit was too busy worrying about her mother's illness, her younger brother's troubles in school, her older brother's girlfriends, and her little sister's need for attention. Yet, it was through these family concerns that Kit found the answer to her question: Who am I, anyway? This is a book about a preteen's teetering between childish blunders and adult insights. A delightful character, Kit is a heroine despite herself. Like many 12-year-olds, she's funny when at her most serious, with wisecracks that come straight from the heart. (Orinally titled: I Am The Universe.)