A frank but discursive fictional look at an underappreciated profession.
A series of interconnected short stories recount the highs and lows of a teaching career.
Scott Robinson, an apprehensive young Midwesterner, transplants himself to West London to teach high school English and American literature. In 20 tightly linked but meandering tales, Newton (Poetica Rex, 2013, etc.), a poet and retired high school teacher, highlights Scott’s struggles in and out of the classroom as he adjusts to life in bustling London: “[The] city tempo infused Scott with a certain amount of élan, some bravado and new zest for risk….He was plugging into the juice of the metropolis and enjoying close proximity to the glitterati, the glamour of major players.” In fact, Scott is just scraping by, constantly questioning his profession but having invested himself too deeply to turn back. During a “Parents Night” event, he sits alone at a table in the hallway, grading papers, when “suddenly he wanted to be left alone, to day-dream about the weekend coming or a nice hot whiskey drink before bed.” The generally unfocused stories tend to spiral into digressions without context, including a sudden revelation that Scott, despite his overt bachelorhood, has a daughter. A characteristic story, “A Season Travel Pass,” opens with Scott reflecting on the London Tube before straying into thoughts on the Magna Carta, his realization that he’s attracted to the French teacher, and memories of a student field trip to the Globe Theatre. The frequently redundant tales emphasize Scott’s near-misadventures, but they might have been more engaging if they’d driven Scott to make important decisions; instead, the stories are often cut safely but unsatisfyingly short. Punctuation and grammar errors, including misused semicolons, add to the confusion—particularly in a book about an English teacher. That said, Scott’s lyrical insights into the awkwardness of standing speechless before an unruly class, his triumphs as a teacher and father, or even his eagerness to get something to drink, make this collection worth reading. Taken together, the stories singularly depict the inherent snags that many teachers face but few discuss.
A frank but discursive fictional look at an underappreciated profession.Pub Date: Aug. 13, 2009
ISBN: 978-1449008703
Page Count: 400
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Nov. 19, 2013
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Simple and conventional on the page, with a separate multimedia component; best for a younger audience.
In this combination picture–activity book and memory album, parents affectionately envision the firsts in their new child’s life.
Writer–educator Glavin (Rock Star’s Rainbow, 2009) follows his first novel with a sweet, predictable children’s book, with Grepo illustrating. The book opens with an image of a stork flying through a golden sky to deliver a smiling couple their first child. Prompted by the joyful newness the baby boy has ushered into their lives, the parents begin listing the firsts their son will have, à la an energetic reversal of Goodnight Moon. In pared down, rhyming couplets, each beginning with the refrain “It’ll be the first time…,” they tell their son the things he’ll do: “play out in the sun,” “spread your legs and run,” “walk the dog” and “fly through the fog.” The digital illustrations are sharply outlined with smudges of black or white for shadows. Racially diverse characters are dressed in solid colors, their postures warm and emotions easily readable; the effect is rudimentary but endearing. The story’s flaw is that its intimate focus may restrict itself to firstborn male children. In addition, the future anticipated for the young boy is as traditional as the classic Century Schoolbook type it’s printed in—he acts cool, catches touchdowns and takes a girl on a date. The message is simplistic but the project as a whole is ambitious. Space provided after the story’s enthusiastic conclusion invites parents and children to record and remember firsts, and to celebrate and plan future goals. The book doesn’t transport readers to another world, uncover truths or find the fantastical hidden in the lackluster; instead, it sticks close to home, with a heartfelt message: Mom and Dad are here, and they can’t wait to see you grow. Intended for ages 1 to 10, the book is a little thin to hold 10 years of memories, and it may bore older readers. Nonetheless, its authors have added a website to accompany the text, which, depending on its development and usability, could extend the book’s reach beyond rocking chair musings.
Simple and conventional on the page, with a separate multimedia component; best for a younger audience.Pub Date: June 5, 2012
ISBN: 978-0982546635
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Kevin Glavin Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 24, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A sports-themed popcorn novel.
Matt Collier travels back in time to witness a legendary baseball game in Thomas’ young adult, sci-fi mystery.
Fourteen-year-old Matt Collier lost his parents on 9/11, and he has been struggling to come to grips with the loss. He's a huge baseball fan, especially of the New York Yankees. Unlike many kids, Matt has deep knowledge of baseball lore, and perhaps that’s why a mysterious alien named the Time Keeper selects him to journey back in time to any baseball game he chooses. Matt picks the seventh game of the 1960 World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees. The Pirates dramatically won that game, in part because the ball in a would-be double play hit a stone and struck the Yankee shortstop in the throat. While not necessarily memorable, the book is a fun read. Thomas keeps this well-written tale moving steadily forward without needless subplots and reflections on the deeper meaning of 9/11. She also avoids the traps inherent in a boy’s coming-of-age tale, of which this is one. The characters are interesting and quirky without becoming irritating, and the historic game is meticulously recreated. The author repeatedly proves her baseball cred but unfortunately relies on the hoary convention of an advanced alien race facilitating time travel instead of inventing a new plot device. The lectures from the “superior being” on the rules and regulations of time hurdling—guidelines that many have heard before—slow the pace. Nevertheless, once the pedantic Time Keeper is finally out of the way, everything draws to an interesting conclusion, one that manages to both instruct and surprise at the same time.
A sports-themed popcorn novel.Pub Date: May 15, 2012
ISBN: 978-1470052720
Page Count: 132
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: July 10, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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