My Life as a Book

Lazy July days—perfect for summer reading. But what if you don’t like to read; what if you actively avoid reading? Such is the dilemma of our protagonist of the day, twelve-year-old Derek, who begins his saga in My Life as a Book by Janet Tashjian with these bold words: “I DON’T WANT TO READ THIS BOOK!” That has been Derek’s relationship to what the adults in his life consider appropriate reading for years. A very reluctant reader, Derek has been pressured by teachers, librarians, and his mother to pick up books, which he personally finds a waste of time. His mother even offers bribery—one chocolate chip per page—to no avail. And now this summer he has to read three books from an approved reading list—a fate worse than death.

But while avoiding books, Derek finds a newspaper clipping in his attic about a seventeen-year-old girl who died years ago on Martha’s Vineyard. Who is she? And why has his mother kept this moldy clipping for so many years? In his pursuit of answers, Derek doesn’t exactly discover the joys of reading traditional books, but he certainly begins to open up to the possibilities of research. First he discovers a website dedicated to this teenager. Eventually, he manages to get his family to revisit Martha’s Vineyard, where Derek locates the best friends of the girl who died. In doing so, he and his family come to terms with what happened on their family vacation many years ago when Derek was a baby.

In this page-turning, exciting book, perfect for fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, the text appears in larger than normal type and is heavily illustrated by Derek (who makes drawings of vocabulary words). Derek is smart and sassy. In his easy, breezy narrative that sweeps readers along, he demonstrates plenty of humor and lots of heart. Funny and serious at various points, the story might just convince some reluctant readers that they enjoy books—the right kind of books that is.

Jake Tashjian, son of the author, provides the illustrations of the vocabulary words displayed on the pages. Janet provides the fascinating story. Both are descendants of one of the finest children’s librarians I ever worked with, Virginia Tashjian, whose enthusiasm for stories convinced many children that they would love books and reading. I’m glad to see the family tradition continued—and grateful to have such a funny, fast-paced, and enjoyable book for young readers ages eight through twelve.

Here’s a page from My Life as a Book: