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Dear Bruce Springsteen
In his letters to his favorite rock star, fourteen-year-old Terry reveals his musical aspirations and his problems coping with his parents' separation, communicating with girls, and finding his own place in the world.
- GenresFictionYoung Adult
134 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Kevin Major
30 books39 followersKevin Major is the author of 20 books, for both young people and adults. The first, Hold Fast, won several awards in Canada and was placed on the Hans Christian Andersen Honour List. It was released in 2014 as a feature film. His second book, Far From Shore, was the winner of the first Canadian Young Adult Book Award. Others which followed include Blood Red Ochre and Eating Between the Lines, winner of the CACL Book-of-the-Year Award.
In 1992 Kevin was given the Vicky Metcalf Award, for an outstanding body of work of significance to young people. The languages into which his work has been translated include French, Danish, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.
An adult novel, No Man’s Land, about the Newfoundland Regiment in World War I, was published in 1995 to much acclaim. Kevin’s adaption of the story was brought to the stage by Rising Tide Theatre and has played for more than a dozen years.
His more recent books include the Christmas classic The House of Wooden Santas, and a history of Newfoundland and Labrador: As Near To Heaven By Sea (a Canadian best-seller and finalist for the Pearson Non-Fiction Prize). Ann and Seamus, a verse novel released in 2003 was shortlisted for a total of ten awards. It has since been turned into an opera. The adult novel New Under the Sun was published in 2010, book one of a trilogy of historical fiction. The second, Found Far and Wide, was released in 2016, and the third, Land Beyond the Sea, in 2019.
In 2018 Kevin started a projected serious of crime novels with One for the Rock. He anticipates the second will arrive in bookstores in the fall of 2020.
Kevin has been named Memorial University’s Alumnus-of-the-Year, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s Artist-of-the-Year .
John Moss, writing in “A Reader’s Guide to the Canadian Novel,” has said, “Kevin Major is among the best Canadian writers of his generation. He has established himself as a figure of singular importance in our literature.”
He lives in St. John’s, NL with his wife Anne. They have two grown sons.
In 1992 Kevin was given the Vicky Metcalf Award, for an outstanding body of work of significance to young people. The languages into which his work has been translated include French, Danish, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.
An adult novel, No Man’s Land, about the Newfoundland Regiment in World War I, was published in 1995 to much acclaim. Kevin’s adaption of the story was brought to the stage by Rising Tide Theatre and has played for more than a dozen years.
His more recent books include the Christmas classic The House of Wooden Santas, and a history of Newfoundland and Labrador: As Near To Heaven By Sea (a Canadian best-seller and finalist for the Pearson Non-Fiction Prize). Ann and Seamus, a verse novel released in 2003 was shortlisted for a total of ten awards. It has since been turned into an opera. The adult novel New Under the Sun was published in 2010, book one of a trilogy of historical fiction. The second, Found Far and Wide, was released in 2016, and the third, Land Beyond the Sea, in 2019.
In 2018 Kevin started a projected serious of crime novels with One for the Rock. He anticipates the second will arrive in bookstores in the fall of 2020.
Kevin has been named Memorial University’s Alumnus-of-the-Year, and the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s Artist-of-the-Year .
John Moss, writing in “A Reader’s Guide to the Canadian Novel,” has said, “Kevin Major is among the best Canadian writers of his generation. He has established himself as a figure of singular importance in our literature.”
He lives in St. John’s, NL with his wife Anne. They have two grown sons.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 25, 2009
I bought this book based on the cover and the title. If you know me, and you probably don't so I'll just have to tell you anyway, you know I love books from the greatest decade of all time, the eighties. This was no exception. Actually, it was. It was pretty bad. I won't lie. BUT IT'S CALLED DEAR BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN.
My friend Chelsea decided to write a letter from Bruce Springsteen to the main character, and it was great and funny and I wish it had been in the novel, but it wasn't. So the book is still just mediocre.
My friend Chelsea decided to write a letter from Bruce Springsteen to the main character, and it was great and funny and I wish it had been in the novel, but it wasn't. So the book is still just mediocre.
May 14, 2018
Great book with a good story.
December 5, 2019
I initially decided to read this book because I was very attracted to its unique cover. The book is entirely written in a series of letters written by a 14-year-old boy named Terry Blanchard to his musical idol, Bruce Springsteen. Bruce Springsteen is a famous American singer-songwriter who is viewed as one of the most successful musicians of all time. I had never heard of Bruce Springsteen or his music prior to reading this book but that didn't alter my opinion about this book. Kevin Major's unique choice of writing style made me really like the book but its mediocre storyline is what made me only rate it three stars.
Terry writes his first letter to his favorite celebrity as a typical fan would. However, he grows a habit of venting his feelings through these letters by writing about his recent struggles and what goes on in his life even though he doesn't expect a reply back. Terry's father had left his family a couple of months ago, he's struggling in math class, his family is struggling with money, he's having girl troubles, and his relationship with his mother isn't the greatest. Writing these letters and listening to Bruce Springsteen's music helps Terry through his rough patches. Inspired by Bruce, Terry starts to write his own songs and attempt to learn the guitar on his own. He and his best friend, Sean, even organize a lip-sync concert to help raise money for a family in need. The book does not have a special storyline because it's just another story about an average teenager's life who is trying to manage through life. If readers enjoyed Dear Bruce Springsteen, they will definitely like Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. Similarly, Dear Mr. Henshaw is about a boy who writes letters to his idol, Boyd Henshaw, about his daily struggles, such as his divorced parents.
Read
January 3, 2020Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and everything.
And keeping with today’s theme, this was also better than I expected it to be. The format of a book made of letters in general is something I think can be really interesting to read. It’s actually the second one like it I’ve read this year. It’s such an approachable format, and I like reading books that use it.
The only thing that just made me cringe was this insistence on using the term “getting off on” as a way of saying enjoying something. There’s at least a dozen instances of it and I just couldn’t. It is dated, but almost in a fun way. I enjoyed this, and I’m going to pass it along into the world because I think it could fall into the right hands and be enjoyed more.
And keeping with today’s theme, this was also better than I expected it to be. The format of a book made of letters in general is something I think can be really interesting to read. It’s actually the second one like it I’ve read this year. It’s such an approachable format, and I like reading books that use it.
The only thing that just made me cringe was this insistence on using the term “getting off on” as a way of saying enjoying something. There’s at least a dozen instances of it and I just couldn’t. It is dated, but almost in a fun way. I enjoyed this, and I’m going to pass it along into the world because I think it could fall into the right hands and be enjoyed more.
July 11, 2025
Lo devoré en medio día. Lo encontré entre la gran colección de libros de mi madre. Lo comencé a leer sin tener ni idea de nada. Pero creo que es aceptable. El protagonista es real, con los errores de cualquier adolescente de la época. Pero tiene toda la pinta de lectura obligatoria que te dan en el Instituto lol. ( donde tratan de hacerse los modernos)
July 9, 2021
"Rock 'em silly", Bruce.
February 3, 2014
Read more of my reviews at : http://babysittinginsweetvalley.blogs...
The only reason I originally picked this up was because of the title (I'm a huge Bruce fan in case you didn't already know) it was an added bonus that the plot line was also pretty appealing and that it just so happened to be YA from the 80's. I squealed even more when I realised it was entirely written in letter format - which is one of the best formats I think.
What I ended up with was a surprise... But certainly a pleasant one at that. It had depth, raw emotions and I felt as if I had an interpersonal relationship with Terry.
The easiest way to describe the plot would be that it seems unintentionally to follow the same theme pattern as Bruce's albums :
We begin with Greetings from Ashbury Park - Terry's naive and only just beginning to grow up(like Bruce was when he made the album). He still thinks his parents will stay together.
Then we move onto The Wild, The Innocent and The E.Street Shuffle - Sadness mixed with Happiness (like the album) Terry's parents are separated but he's made a new friend who shares his musical dreams - Terry wants to be a Rockstar.
Born to Run - Bruce and Terry's breakthrough. Terry purchases a secondhand electric guitar and amplifier - his first step in the door in music.
Darkness on the edge of town, The River and Nebraska - All sad albums ( well The River not as much as the other two). Terry attempts to date but his first relationship falls through and saddest of all he sees the harsh reality of how his Dads been living after the divorce (he moved to a different city). This part was very emotional as I was almost in tears at the part where his Dad comes after him in the bus station.
Born in the U.S.A - None of the other albums had been released when this book was written so this is the album the book ends on. The end and by far the happiest (and best) part of the book, the same words can be used to describe that album in my opinion.
Terry hosts a charity concert and headlines with 'Dancing in the Dark' and drags his new crush on stage. It turns out the love is requited and she's a Bruce fan too so she has my vote. Terry also accepts his stepfather and has a proper relationship with his father. He stops writing the letters because he no longer needs to escape life.
I'd definitely recommend this to Bruce fans as it's basically a homage to him and is packed with references yet it also has a lot of depth to it too.
The only reason I originally picked this up was because of the title (I'm a huge Bruce fan in case you didn't already know) it was an added bonus that the plot line was also pretty appealing and that it just so happened to be YA from the 80's. I squealed even more when I realised it was entirely written in letter format - which is one of the best formats I think.
What I ended up with was a surprise... But certainly a pleasant one at that. It had depth, raw emotions and I felt as if I had an interpersonal relationship with Terry.
The easiest way to describe the plot would be that it seems unintentionally to follow the same theme pattern as Bruce's albums :
We begin with Greetings from Ashbury Park - Terry's naive and only just beginning to grow up(like Bruce was when he made the album). He still thinks his parents will stay together.
Then we move onto The Wild, The Innocent and The E.Street Shuffle - Sadness mixed with Happiness (like the album) Terry's parents are separated but he's made a new friend who shares his musical dreams - Terry wants to be a Rockstar.
Born to Run - Bruce and Terry's breakthrough. Terry purchases a secondhand electric guitar and amplifier - his first step in the door in music.
Darkness on the edge of town, The River and Nebraska - All sad albums ( well The River not as much as the other two). Terry attempts to date but his first relationship falls through and saddest of all he sees the harsh reality of how his Dads been living after the divorce (he moved to a different city). This part was very emotional as I was almost in tears at the part where his Dad comes after him in the bus station.
Born in the U.S.A - None of the other albums had been released when this book was written so this is the album the book ends on. The end and by far the happiest (and best) part of the book, the same words can be used to describe that album in my opinion.
Terry hosts a charity concert and headlines with 'Dancing in the Dark' and drags his new crush on stage. It turns out the love is requited and she's a Bruce fan too so she has my vote. Terry also accepts his stepfather and has a proper relationship with his father. He stops writing the letters because he no longer needs to escape life.
I'd definitely recommend this to Bruce fans as it's basically a homage to him and is packed with references yet it also has a lot of depth to it too.
June 18, 2009
Dear Bruce Springsteen, by Kevin Major, is a poignant look at the average teenage boy's life in Middle America in the mid 1980's.
Terry keeps a journal of letters he wrote to the Boss, a certain Mr. Bruce Springsteen. Terry's dad left his family about six months prior to the story. He now lives with his little sister [who put pictures of the Boss up next to the glittery Duran Duran:], and his mother, who works as a nurse to bring in some income. Terry gets along with his mother until one day she tells him he cannot purchase a second-hand guitar and amp. But Terry needs that guitar so he can be just like the Boss. His mom doesn't want Terry to become a no good guitar-picker like his father. This sends Terry spiraling into madness and delinquency.
Terry's story is often considered the red-headed stepbrother to the novel Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. The boys in both stories are pouring their hearts out to a man they only know through art, men who they treat as an alternate dad. But unlike Leigh Botts and the titular Mr. Henshaw, Terry never hears back from the Boss.
I believe there is reason for this. Where Mr. Henshaw is a wussy writer with nothing better to do than attend Q and A's at junior high schools, the Boss is an awesome rock and roll Machine-God wielding his mighty power axe and laying out some sweet riffs. I'm sure he prayed over his magical bandanna to make Terry's wishes come true. But, like Death in Discworld, who only collects the most important souls, and Jesus and/or Mary who only manifest themselves in poor people's breakfast foods, no one can expect a man as great as the Boss to cater on a personal level to all his disciples.
I'd recommend Dear Bruce Springsteen to anyone who loves the Boss, or likes to read about the Boss, or who likes to read letters written to the Boss. I also recommend it for anyone who likes to read books.
But you don't have to take my word for it...
-School Library Journal
Terry keeps a journal of letters he wrote to the Boss, a certain Mr. Bruce Springsteen. Terry's dad left his family about six months prior to the story. He now lives with his little sister [who put pictures of the Boss up next to the glittery Duran Duran:], and his mother, who works as a nurse to bring in some income. Terry gets along with his mother until one day she tells him he cannot purchase a second-hand guitar and amp. But Terry needs that guitar so he can be just like the Boss. His mom doesn't want Terry to become a no good guitar-picker like his father. This sends Terry spiraling into madness and delinquency.
Terry's story is often considered the red-headed stepbrother to the novel Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary. The boys in both stories are pouring their hearts out to a man they only know through art, men who they treat as an alternate dad. But unlike Leigh Botts and the titular Mr. Henshaw, Terry never hears back from the Boss.
I believe there is reason for this. Where Mr. Henshaw is a wussy writer with nothing better to do than attend Q and A's at junior high schools, the Boss is an awesome rock and roll Machine-God wielding his mighty power axe and laying out some sweet riffs. I'm sure he prayed over his magical bandanna to make Terry's wishes come true. But, like Death in Discworld, who only collects the most important souls, and Jesus and/or Mary who only manifest themselves in poor people's breakfast foods, no one can expect a man as great as the Boss to cater on a personal level to all his disciples.
I'd recommend Dear Bruce Springsteen to anyone who loves the Boss, or likes to read about the Boss, or who likes to read letters written to the Boss. I also recommend it for anyone who likes to read books.
But you don't have to take my word for it...
The short, easy-to-read format of Terry's letters, the appearance of Bruce Springsteen's name in the title, and the appealing cover will attract many readers.
-School Library Journal
September 3, 2009
This is one of those odd books from my childhood that I still think about on occasion. While I don't remember it as being the best book ever, I do remember the main character's journey toward becoming a good person. I remember how the letters to the Boss worked as a journal for the boy, giving him someone to share his inner self with. One of the other reviews already mentions that the boy never gets a letter from Bruce. To be honest, that's OK. The Bruce he was writing to was a figment of his imagination. And, by the end of the book, he doesn't really need Bruce anymore, anyway. The novel wouldn't work if Bruce had suddenly appeared like a guardian angel and changed the boy's life by merely noticing him.
I like to think about this book in relationship to Eminem's "Stan." Both are about characters that reach out to a famous person they don't know and model themselves after. "Stan," written from the point of view of a performer, shares the pain of realizing that a performer cannot--and should not--be a fan's best friend, cannot save fans from the demons that haunt them. The novel, on the other hand, shows a much healthier fan relationship, one where the character uses his hero-worship to become a better person, rather than blame the hero for the character's own flaws.
I like to think about this book in relationship to Eminem's "Stan." Both are about characters that reach out to a famous person they don't know and model themselves after. "Stan," written from the point of view of a performer, shares the pain of realizing that a performer cannot--and should not--be a fan's best friend, cannot save fans from the demons that haunt them. The novel, on the other hand, shows a much healthier fan relationship, one where the character uses his hero-worship to become a better person, rather than blame the hero for the character's own flaws.
February 1, 2015
Despite some obvious similarities to Dear Mr. Henshaw with the letter/diary format and the same story about a boy struggling to make sense of his parent's divorce by writing to a famous celebrity, this was a surprisingly well-written story. I've never been a huge fan of Springsteen but he's a good literary choice as the main character's inspiration and I found myself rooting for this young man who loves music and is just starting to notice girls. Since it was published in 1987, the story is clean with no gratuitous swearing, sex or drug use. The 80's were still an age of innocence for American youth culture and this book was a nice window to the past for older readers (like myself) to look back and reflect on.
October 25, 2013
Más bien un 2.5.Una novela que recuerdo leí después de muchos años de serme regalada y la verdad es que me sorprendió ( me la imaginaba peor). Básicamente trata la época difícil de un adolescente que tiene que enfrentarse a nuevos cambios en su vida ( cambio de escuela, primer amor, divorcio de sus padres..). El famoso músico es la excusa para explicarnos sus pensamientos y problemas, a través de su correspondencia con éste.
Narrado de manera sencilla, concisa y realista, un libro efectivo en lo que pretende contarnos.
Narrado de manera sencilla, concisa y realista, un libro efectivo en lo que pretende contarnos.
January 9, 2019
It was written in a cool format that format being in letters sent to Bruce Springsteen. This book is great if you like Bruce or if you don't, either way, I think it is very relatable. I found myself of my freshmen year experiencing a lot of things the character did in the book.
June 25, 2007
Kevin Major is Newfie author, he wrote good books, go ahead, try find his books and you will like it.
November 15, 2010
Very different from what I usually like, but it was fun to read, and the style was fresh.
January 1, 2013
Must admit, I picked it for the title...
Not a bad coming of age story. Waiting to find our if his letters are ever answered kept me reading til the end.
Not a bad coming of age story. Waiting to find our if his letters are ever answered kept me reading til the end.
May 22, 2014
i red it it suked ass
#lol #books #sprucebingsteen #majorkevinmajor
#lol #books #sprucebingsteen #majorkevinmajor
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews