Customer Reviews

I Wanna Be Your Shoebox

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The story is about a young teen girl from a multicultural famiy (Jewish, Japanese and Cuban) dealing with parents, school, death, and the fact that life constantly changes even when we want to cling to the past.

Yumi's parents divorced when she was one. She is close to both parents, and particularly close to her Jewish grandfather who is dying at the age of 92 from cancer.

The book is alternately entertaining and boring. The family dynamic is unique, and the relationship between Yumi and Saul is endearing. And here comes the "but" I didn't feel invested enough in the characters to care about them. Yumi is drawn clearly, but her mother is vaguely defined and the fiancee is a blank canvas with little or no personality. Secondary characters don't need to be as vividly described, but her mother and fiancee are a big part of the story.

Throughout the story, her grandfather, dying of cancer, begins to tell Yumi about his life. What started out interesting became tedious and interferred with the movement of the story.

There was an overall sadness to the entire book, her grandfather dying, her mother moving on and remarrying, her father's depression and having to move away from her old neighborhood. The book was heavy with underlying message and frankly, I think a teen is going to be bored to tears reading it.

This is a good book for the younger teenager. It deals with lots of different issues from the point of view of a young girl, who doesn't have the benefit of an adult's viewpoint to assist her with handling her problems. A good read for any pre-teen to teen girl.

I Wanna Be Your Shoebox was a sweet read. I think it's intended audience will enjoy it very much. From Saul, the dying grandfather, there is much to learn and it's his voice I got the most from in the book. I would have enjoyed this book if it was just his and his wife's story because I found it to be the most interesting part though his Japanese wife speaks only at the end, her character is exemplified in Saul's story.

Saul's knowledge of the depression, World Wars, and past presidents provide interesting history that kids of this age (middle school) are beginning to learn about and he brings them to light in an entertaining first hand tale.

Yumi is struggling with many things. Some plot lines and characters tend to be a little sketchy but it's acceptable and the book flows well. There was some introductory symbolism that will be appreciated.

I am going to recommend my daughter read this book. I think it will be inspiring to her. The colorful ancestry could have been enhanced on the Cuban side, but I think Saul's tale was touching and more complete.

I think this was an entertaining book with just enough interest and action to keep kids reading it. It also had an importance message for kids to 'dance' in their own way.

Cristina Garcia had good intentions when she wrote I WANNA BE YOUR SHOEBOX, but in the end, the novel can't quite overcome its own leisurely pace. Don't get me wrong, it's possible you could read and enjoy this YA book -- if you take to the protagonist, Yumi-Ruiz Hirsch. If not, however, you may find your sail without enough wind because not a lot happens in the way of plot here. It's more a mood piece, an extended slice of life, an homage from a granddaughter to her grandfather, Saul, who is dying of cancer at the tender age of 92.

Early on, during a successful party, Yumi narrates: "This is perfect, I think. I don't want to move. I don't want to get older. I don't want my mom to have a boyfriend. I don't want Saul to die. I want to stop time, right this minute, forever. If only I could keep everything just the way it is: the moon big and full and my friends all around and the last of the summer jasmine perfuming the air like white particles in the dust." It's a sweet sentiment, but it's also the book in a nutshell. Girl fights time. Girl loses to time. Time marches on (reader follows along).

Garcia deserves credit for the voice and characterization of Yumi, who is, after all, unique; her background is Jewish-Japanese-Cuban (with a little Guatemalan thrown in). And some readers (girls, more likely) might even identify enough with her tale and her grandfather's monologues (Yumi asks Saul to recall his life, and he does so in italicized sections throughout the book) to give the book 5 stars. Still, reluctant readers and those who prefer a more pronounced narrative arc should proceed with care. Without the traction of a robust plot, they may feel boxed in (whether they wanna be or not).

I Wanna Be Your Shoebox was a sweet story about family and death. The writing is decent but not great. The story gets a bit predictable. The story is definitely for a preteen to teen audience and will lose any older readers try to go through it. The story is nice, but the best part of this book are the characters which are actually very interesting and well fleshed out.

In this YA book of fiction, Yumi narrates a segment of her life, a time when she wants everything to stand still. The writer turns a phrase very well, and, through her dialogue, you come to know Yumi, to understand how she will react, to feel her frustrations and excitement.

Interwoven with Yumi's story is the story of her grandfather Saul, who is dying of cancer, and telling Yumi of his life. Again, his voice is unique and well-written, clearly different from Yumi's voice.

While the story line meanders, the book is full of little treasures: insights, observations, epiphanies, and reflections.

I found Yumi's and Saul's characters engaging enough to keep me reading.

Yumi Ruiz-Hirsch, with her blend of Cuban, Russian/Jewish, and Japanese ancestry, is a poster-child for multiculturalism. Her grandfather Saul is dying of cancer, her mother has a new boyfriend, and her aging-punker father is depressed. Yumi asks her grandfather to tell her the story of his life, and the story alternates between his voice and hers. At the same time, Yumi is trying to save her school orchestra, which is due to be cut from lack of funding, and trying to figure out her feelings toward her male friends. The multicultural heroine is appealing, and the book's style combines humor, sadness, and a good portrayal of the awkwardness of boy/girl relationships in the middle school years.

My 10 year old daughter and I both read I Wanna Be Your Shoebox, and we both enjoyed it. It's beautifully written -- Cristina Garcia is a very deft writer, and has a good touch for the dialogue of the adolescent girl who is the main character in the novel.

The relationships are very real, and Garcia doesn't shy away from difficult subjects -- divorce, remarriage, adoption, death. At the same time, the book felt like a celebration of life to me.

I also love the heroine -- who is an outspoken, smart, and fiercely independent teenage girl -- a great literary role model for pre-teen and teen readers.

My daughter and I both loved this so much that we're getting another copy for her school library!

Yumi is Jewish, Japanese and Guatemalan, the only child of divorced parents. She is a high schooler, orchestra member and beginning surfer living in LA, swapping between her punk rock father, sassy poet mama and her grandparents. Her dad's parents are her closest relatives... the pre-feminist Japanese grandmother and cancer-stricken grandfather who hails from Brooklyn. Now that her grandfather is sick, she wants to know every detail of his life. These monologues, sprinkled through out the book, italicized and peppered with old-fashioned slang are so fun. They are a great way to expose readers to WWII culture and the long-term relationship between Japan and the US. Besides this main plot, there is also a subplot regarding Yumi's school orchestra being shut down for lack of funding, and the orchestra's attempts to save them, as well as a couple very tiny romantic interludes that realistically don't end with all loose ends tied in a kiss. This book is a fun book exposing a mix of cultures and how it can affect teens. Please recommend it to anyone looking for books on multiculturalism, mixed race teens or Japanese-American relations.

My 10-1/2-year-old liked this so much that she has passed it along to her friends to read as well. From her, that is HIGH praise.