Customer Reviews

Hey World, Here I Am! (Harper Trophy Book)

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I had been meaning to read this book for quite awhile, but never quite got around to it until today. This book is a quick read. (I think it only took me about 45 minutes to read from cover to cover. However, I didn't take time to ponder most of the illustrations.)

Kate is a great character. Strangely enough, the title poem "Hey World, here I am" is probably the one I liked the least in the whole book. I haven't read any of the other books that include Kate, but this book does stand alone. With this book, the reader gets an insight into Kate that is refreshing.

Rather than using long journal entries, Kate relates little things in her world through poems and through short stories. Some of these things are quite moving, such as the time that Kate's mother yells at her to clean her room. Later, Kate's mother comes back to apologize, saying she had a bad day at work, etc, and that she didn't mean to snap like that. Kate's observation on the situation is that she could deal with being snapped at, but having to deal with her mother's sadness was something much harder. Other observations are more joyful, such as the hope for spring (in February in Canada!) or being happy to have a best friend like her friend Emily.

I think this is a wonderful book. Don't let it's shortness put you off. Not every book is meant to be 300 pages.

I discovered this little book while gathering material for my Grades 5/6 poetry unit. Jean Little captures large truths in small poems. Many students, girls particularly, found themselves in several of the selections. One small poem about War has become my introduction for my Remembrance Day unit this year.

I was about eight years old when my mom first brought this book home for me. I was so thrilled because I shared the name of the character in the book, Kate. I absolutely devoured the book, enjoying it more for the humor Jean Little displays impeccably in her writing, and the utter appropriateness of Sue Truedell's wonderful illustrations. Later, when I was a teenager, I went back and read the poems again because they seemed to describe the utter tumult and solitude that I felt during such a trying time. Poems like "Today," "Alone," and "Yesterday" capture perfectly feelings and emotions that nobody ever thinks to capture, yet Ms. Little does it in such a fabulous way that one instantly understands just what kind of mood she is describing. Now that I am a young woman, near to having a family of my own, I treasure my battered old copy of this book, nearly worn to pieces from repeated readings. Even today I can still find wisdom in every poem and piece of prose. The writer, Jean Little, is blind; I can only say it has sharpened her other senses and her intuition of basic human emotion powerfully. Bravo!

My daughter read this book several times in a row, so I had to read it, too. It's a mixture of poems and stories that create the charachter Kate Bloomfield, a very real and compelling girl. She comments on her life, about things like her best friend's baby sister, being Jewish, and turning cartwheels. It sounds corny, but the book is as touching as it is very funny.

Kate Bloomfield, a Canadian teenage girl, records her thoughts and feelings through a series of poems and vignettes. The very first page quickly sets the tone of Kate's story - she announces her arrival to the World, but when she gets no response, her Self celebrates with somersaults. The World had its chance, but now it's Kate's turn! Simple stories, like not being able to eat parsnips or being proud to be Canadian, are mixed with longer portraits of Kate, her friends and family. Kate struggles with becoming a teenager and learning more about her parents and neighbors. The reader gets an intimate portrait of Kate and may discover a kindred spirit.

Kate has already appeared in two book, Kate and Look Through My Window, but Hey World, Here I Am! certainly stands on its own. Little's writing style capture the teenage voice perfectly, without any of the angst or drama found in so many other books with a teen protagonist. Kate is caught between a world where she is old enough to have experience and reflect on her opinions, but still new to the world of adults. Truesdell's illustrations, wobbly black and white drawings, are both silly and sentimental. The drawings interact with the poems, somersaulting around the words. Not only will younger readers find a companion in Kate, they will be introduced to poetry and the short story format.

This is my very favorite book. It was delivered in a very timely fashion and it is so great. The main character grew up in Canada and is Jewish and I'm Hispanic and in Southern California, but I so get her!!! The style that she writes with is so simple, understandable, and creative; it's poetic. It would be a great book to read at bedtime with your child or by yourself.

This is such a great book! It's perfect for any young girl. The book has short poems and stories told from Kate's point of view. It's fun, it's happy and it's sad. It talks about friendship,parents and life. I cannot recommend it enough! I read it when I was in middle school, probably. Rereading it reminds me of how much I enjoyed it. Really a great read for anyone at any age, but will speak to a young girl's inner voice. GET IT!

I purchased this book at a library book fair in the second grade. After one reading, I fell in love with the goofy pictures (I like Kate's hair and messy bedroom) and poetry. It combined poetry and pictures, my two favorite things in a book at that time. Over many years, I have gotten rid of the old books of my childhood, but I have never parted with this one. I take it off the shelf about once a year and read it (since I was seven I've read it ten times). I can empathize with Kate and her love of books, spats with her mother, and her dislike of interpreting poetry. Even though I am not Jewish like Kate, after reading the Diary of Anne Frank like her friend, I felt Jewish too. I also write poetry, but they are usually about my cat and nature. After reading this book many times, my love for Hey World, Here I Am! has never faded.

I loved the poetry that outlined the story. Kate, whom we first met in "Through My Window" is the central figure in this story. Bright and outgoing, Kate speaks her mind on a myriad of subjects such as her religious identity, her social concerns and people she encounters regularly.

This book delighted me because Kate is such a strong, female protagonist. She's wonderfully believable and her voice is certainly heartfelt. Kate is also funny.

This slim book of poetry and short poems, written from oneteenage girl's prespective, is a small treasure of wisdom andwit. With the help of goofy illustrations by Sue Truesdell (they remind me a bit of Kwentin Blake), this book somehow manages to capture the feeling of being a young teenager, without going cheesy or sounding remotely like a beauty magazine. Don't underestimate it - it's a huge accomplishment.