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Mama
A young boy describes his mother's struggles to feed, clothe, and protect him and his little brother using whatever resources she can muster, including stealing
106 pages, Library Binding
First published March 1, 1977
About the author
Lee Bennett Hopkins
208 books52 followersLee Bennett Hopkins was inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2017. He holds a Guinness Book of Records citation for compiling the most anthologies for children. He has also received the Christopher Award, the Regina Medal, and the National Council of Teachers of English Excellence in Poetry for Children Award. He lives in Florida.
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
For more information, please see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Ben...
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 6, 2024
I discovered this book while browsing a local used bookstore (one of the last few left around my area, unfortunately). It's called Colorado's Used Bookstore on Broadway, just north of 285 (definitely worth checking out). It was a slim (around 100 pages) book and I couldn't resist the cover. I'll admit that I judge a book by its cover and this seemed just right for me. I love books told in first person, about young people, and I knew there would be Christmas involved. I read it in one day and thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's about a mother, Mama, trying to make ends meet for her two young boys after their father walks out on them. The book is told through the point of view of the older son and how his views of his mother flux from experience to experience. He witnesses his mother always taking new jobs (never keeping the same one for long), always having the best for him and his brother (how can they afford it?), and always talking their heads off when she doesn't want to discuss real issues. When the narrator catches on to what Mama is doing, he has a dilemma, but how he goes about it is a challenge.
This is a string of ten short stories or vignettes. The book is a character study of a mother trying her best (or worst) to make ends meet for the two most important people in her life, her two sons, and how sometimes love makes parents do some difficult (and wrong) things to make ends meet and show their children how much they love them even in struggling times. One downside to this book is that the mom does get annoying from time to time. She'll go off into these long rambling monologues (like I do a lot) and never shut up (like I do a lot). But I think for that reason it makes the book stronger.
I think anyone who grew up poor, or without a parent, or likes off-the-wall character studies in their reading, will enjoy this book. It's filled with heart and a lot of laughs. For instance, Mama has a lot of thoughts about everything, like real flowers. She hates real flowers. She only likes plastic. American plastic, that is! This is a book about motherlove and sacrifice. The cover is so 1970s that I couldn't resist. It was the author's first novel, however, it was highly based on his own experiences living in the projects in New Jersey. My rating - 5/5
It's about a mother, Mama, trying to make ends meet for her two young boys after their father walks out on them. The book is told through the point of view of the older son and how his views of his mother flux from experience to experience. He witnesses his mother always taking new jobs (never keeping the same one for long), always having the best for him and his brother (how can they afford it?), and always talking their heads off when she doesn't want to discuss real issues. When the narrator catches on to what Mama is doing, he has a dilemma, but how he goes about it is a challenge.
This is a string of ten short stories or vignettes. The book is a character study of a mother trying her best (or worst) to make ends meet for the two most important people in her life, her two sons, and how sometimes love makes parents do some difficult (and wrong) things to make ends meet and show their children how much they love them even in struggling times. One downside to this book is that the mom does get annoying from time to time. She'll go off into these long rambling monologues (like I do a lot) and never shut up (like I do a lot). But I think for that reason it makes the book stronger.
I think anyone who grew up poor, or without a parent, or likes off-the-wall character studies in their reading, will enjoy this book. It's filled with heart and a lot of laughs. For instance, Mama has a lot of thoughts about everything, like real flowers. She hates real flowers. She only likes plastic. American plastic, that is! This is a book about motherlove and sacrifice. The cover is so 1970s that I couldn't resist. It was the author's first novel, however, it was highly based on his own experiences living in the projects in New Jersey. My rating - 5/5
Displaying 1 of 1 review