What I Believe

by Norma Fox Mazer

When Vicki's father is laid off from his job, everything changes. Her family moves to a city apartment, and Vicki has to forge a new path at her urban school. Worst of all, one night her depressed father simply disappears. Vicki soon finds herself living a double life--fine on the outside, anything "but" fine on the inside--and that leads to a moral dilemma she's ultimately forced to confront.

Genres: Poetry, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Novel In Verse, School

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

About the author

Norma Fox Mazer was an American author and teacher, best known for her books for children and young adults.

She was born in New York City but grew up in Glens Falls, New York, with parents Michael and Jean Garlan Fox. Mazer graduated from Glens Falls High School, then went to Antioch College, where she met Harry Mazer, whom she married in 1950; they have four children, one of whom, Anne Mazer, is also a writer. She also studied at Syracuse University.

New York Times Book Review contributor Ruth I. Gordon wrote that Mazer "has the skill to reveal the human qualities in both ordinary and extraordinary situations as young people mature....it would be a shame to limit their reading to young people, since they can show an adult reader much about the sometimes painful rite of adolescent passage into adulthood."

Among the honors Mazer earned for her writing were a National Book Award nomination in 1973, an American Library Association Notable Book citation in 1976, inclusion on the New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year list in 1976, the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1978, an Edgar Award in 1982, German Children's Literature prizes in 1982 and 1989, and a Newbery Medal in 1988.

Mazer taught in the Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children & Young Adults Program at Vermont College.

For more information, please see http://www.answers.com/topic/norma-fo...

Reviews

[K.D. Absolutely · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first book of poems! And I enjoyed it!

I picked up this book a couple of weeks back while doing a book hunt in Booksale Waltermart. The plot is about every working dad (depending on his circumstances) fears: losing one's source of income while his children are still studying and his wife is a full-time housekeeper. I flipped through the pages and saw that the story is told in a series of free style poems. I thought it looked neat and I called my 15-y/o daughter to check it. She read the rest of the blurbs and said she wanted it because it is told by a narrator who's supposed to be a 12-y/o child. Cool, she quipped.

I finished reading the book in a day while distracting me from the very disappointing Anne Enright's novel, The Gathering. Ms. Enright won the 2007 Man Booker Prize while Ms. Norma Fox Mazer (May 15, 1931 – October 17, 2009) had her share of awards but not the prestigious Booker nor the Pulitzer. What I Believe was published last year, 2009 - the year of her death at the age of 78. So, it was not written by a child at all but told in the viewpoint of.

The story is about Vicki a 12-y/o only daughter and youngest child of a couple. Her dad, Mr. Marnet, used to be a corporate executive and a good provider (big house in the suburb, 3 cars, membership in a sports club, etc). Then he lost his job at 58. After a few months of looking for a job, he failed. They had to sell the house and moved to a small apartment in a city. Her mother had to work in an office and her dad as night watchman. However, he got laid-off again so he ended up working in a fast food chain. He got depressed and abandoned his family.

I will not tell you the end of the story. It is quite thin but the poems are very innocent and sweet so they are believably written by a rich but naive kid.

At 45, while still earning more than enough for my family, this reminded me to save for the rainy days. I just hope that I will not end up like Henry English in the American Rust.

Highly recommended for those who love stories told in poems particularly for fathers of teenage daughters. Reading it is like peeking into the minds of your precious sweet yet not-so-little-anymore angels.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is simple enough. Some people might even find it boring. But I loved the authenticity of a young girl dealing with her entire world being turned upside down. I really enjoyed the writing style, which was descriptive and lyrical without being too flowery. I've never quite been in Vicki's situation, but I could relate to a lot of her struggles and her "questions to the universe."

[Mrs. Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Vicki's father is laid off from his job, everything changes. Her family moves to a city apartment, and Vicki has to forge a new path at her urban school. Worst of all, one night her depressed father simply disappears. Vicki soon finds herself living a double life--fine on the outside, anything but fine on the inside--and that leads to a moral dilemma she's ultimately forced to confront.

[Susan M Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

How it really feels...

I don’t know how I came across this book, but I’m glad I did.
This is my voice as a kid. I suspect many have had the thoughts and feelings expressed so well here. It’s important to know we’re not alone.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vicki, a budding poet, tries to deal with her dad's depression and her mom's sadness

[Elijah Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although well written this book was boring and doesn’t stand out much

[Olive L · Rating 4 out of 5]

i really enjoyed the meaning and poem aspect of this book, it was my first poem book

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story line. Interesting format. Not an attention-getter.

[Kassie]

Kassandra Sweetman 10/16/16
“What I believe”
Book Review
“What I believe”, is a novel, by Norma Fox Mazer. The lexile level for this book is NP. “What I believe” is about a little girl named Viki Marnet and her family had to move out of their lifelong home because of financial problems. Once she got to there new house her parents had to work so much that her dad got too stessed out that he left. Which maid her feel abandond lonly confused and upset, she started to write poems to help her through everything.
Viki really expresses how she’s feeling through her poems.
“Why do
I keep saying
That one word I now hate?
I’ll steel myself for the next test.
And then
I say,
We two will steal away, Sara.
And more. Just as a joke
I dib her Steel
Girl, not
at all
in the moment
Getting the real joke-jolt
Of it. But deep down, don’t I hope
She is?”
That was one of her poems, she writes her feeling instead of taking them out on other people which is a great way to express them… She goes through a lot with learning from mistakes and trying to fix them and her dad leaving also living somewhere different/new.
I enjoyed this book but some of the poems were confusing to me. This book taught me that even if you in a rough situation to NEVER GIVE UP. I really enjoyed the part in the book were when her dad came home and she wasn’t exited to him like the rest of her family was, she was frusterated furious at him and didn’t really understand why. A connection I can make to that would be, my dad is always gone at work and only comes back at least once a week and it also makes me feel frusterated and furious too. I think that anybody that either loves poems or has gone through the same kind of experience would enjoy this book.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fabulous! Just happened upon it at the library. The title appealed to me. The format did, too. Poetry, lists, verbal ephemera, in a way. But the plot is what really hooked me.

Vicki's father loses his job and the family must sell their beautiful home in the burbs and move into an apartment, a tiny apartment at that, in the city. Her father struggles considerably with depression, which is really more of a sideline. The crux of the matter is Vicki's struggle to come to terms with the new circumstances of her life, and how she feels about that.

Having been unemployed twice in the past five years, this hit all too close to home. I was fortunate in a number of ways. One the one hand, it's just me... no family to support. I also have a very supportive mom who welcomed me home and offered a safe space to land, a rent-free space to land. That allowed me the freedom to hold out hope for THE job I was looking for. Sure do hope I've found it... All of which is to say... the economy being what it is, this is a real issue for a lot of folks. I would love to think that this book might be just what someone needs to read at just the right moment.

[Karen Ball · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story told in lists, journal entries, poems, letters. Vicki Marnet is a writer, and her writing helps her to deal with the mess her family life has become. Her dad has lost his job, after working for the same company for 28 years. He's having a lot of trouble finding a job, and is depressed. Vicki's family has to sell their home in the suburbs and move to an apartment in the city, where her mother has found a receptionist job. It means switching schools, leaving friends, and selling off treasured belongings to help pay the bills -- and they don't have room for them in the apartment anyway. Vicki's brothers seem to handle the changes much better than anyone else, but they also don't stick around much to help out. When Vicki's dad disappears suddenly, they are forced to take in a woman who rents a room, and Vicki does something awful. If you make a really terrible mistake, how do you make up for it? How do you earn back the trust of your family? A timely story of hardships and choices. 7th grade and up.

[Kate Watson · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first, it isn’t such a big deal that Vikki’s father is laid off from his job. Everyone is confident he will find a new one. But, after 2 years of searching and drowning in debt, Vikki’s parents decide it is time to sell their house and move. Vikki isn’t at all at peace with this decision. Now she has to adjust to a new school, new friends, and a new apartment that they are sharing with a lady who rents a room. Having a hard time with her situation, Vikki finally does something about it…and instantly regrets her poor decision. Now she has a secret that controls her life. Vikki’s passion is writing, and she writes about her experiences in lists, poems, and run-on sentences.

I expected more from this book. I feel like poem books are usually very deep and insightful, and I didn’t particularly feel that way about this book. The run-on sentences were very confusing to read, but I liked the idea of making things different. Vikki also writes monologues, memos to self, and other unique things. I didn’t feel like this book had a “wow factor.”

[HeavyReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the first that I'm reading for the 2009 Librarians Reading Challenge.

I find books about kids who are rich (or at least well-off) and then fall on hard times really annoying. They're hardly ever done in a way that makes me feel any sympathy for the main character. This book is in that category, which is one of the reasons I didn't like it so much. I kept wanting to tell the protagonist to buck up and act like an adult, which is probably a really dumb thing to tell a 12 year old. (This is probably evidence that I would not make a good mother.)

The cool thing about this book is that the main character writes poetry, so much of the plot is advanced through the poems she writes. I've never read a book written in such a way. I've given this book an extra star just because of the novel way it was written.

The story itself was ho-hum. But it was a quick and easy read and maybe a good choice for kids who like poetry.

[Kimberlayy º · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was just...okay. It was kind of hard to get used to at first. But my policy is: always finish a book! no matter how much you hate it! So I got through the whole thing. The story line was alright. I didn't really feel connected to the main character (see? i forgot her name! and i NEVER forget names on REALLY good books!) The reason why I put it two stars instead of one is because I'm really into poetry and stuff. So I liked seeing her poems.

[Janelle Fila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! Novels in verse are so entertaining to read. I loved how the main character talked openly about her feelings about her family's loss of money. That is something that young people don't hear a lot about and yet it impacts them so much. I made my 14 year old read this book just so we could have an informed discussion about money. Fantastic read!

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written in the same style as Shakespeare Bats Cleanup as a series of journal entries written in list/poem/rambling run-on sentence style, this book could inspire children to just sit down and start writing. I can't say anything bad about that, can I?

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be the best book o' poems I've ever read (notice how it's still only 3 stars, and probably only that high because some of them don't look like poems). Somehow, the disjointed format worked for this character, and in telling this specific story, in a way that poetry almost never does.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novel in verse

[Holly Jorgenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been reading a lot of children's and YA books this summer and, while there is nothing particularly wrong with this book, it just seemed too depressing for my taste.

[Stacy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't read the whole thing. It just wasn't my 'cup of tea'.

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more angst.