Comments on: The Kid http://blogs.slj.com/adult4teen/2011/07/25/the-kid/ A School Library Journal Blog Mon, 20 May 2013 13:24:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: amy cheney http://blogs.slj.com/adult4teen/2011/07/25/the-kid/#comment-13825 amy cheney Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:29:59 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/adult4teen/?p=3004#comment-13825 It was amazing to listen to the NPR interview. In and of itself it's an excellent interview, but as a reviewer I was gratified to hear Sapphire talk about how the Kid is her Raskilnokov (Dostoevsky's protagonist in Crime and Punishment). Like that book, this is brilliant as well as difficult to read because of it's literary style. The book is groundbreaking and courageous. I believe it's the first book that is literary and also unflinchingly looks at issues of abuse, neglect, legacies of history. I could be wrong about that. I work with youth who have experienced what the kid has gone through and I can tell you the thought process and behavior is extremely and chillingly accurate. It's not an easy read - obviously, and I can't say it's like a favorite book or that I'm going to recommend it to a ton of people. I wanted to put it down many a time. But I kept going and I'm glad I did. This book is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. It is a classic, and belongs in every library. I can definitely see this being taught at the college level. It was amazing to listen to the NPR interview. In and of itself it’s an excellent interview, but as a reviewer I was gratified to hear Sapphire talk about how the Kid is her Raskilnokov (Dostoevsky’s protagonist in Crime and Punishment). Like that book, this is brilliant as well as difficult to read because of it’s literary style.

The book is groundbreaking and courageous. I believe it’s the first book that is literary and also unflinchingly looks at issues of abuse, neglect, legacies of history. I could be wrong about that.

I work with youth who have experienced what the kid has gone through and I can tell you the thought process and behavior is extremely and chillingly accurate.

It’s not an easy read – obviously, and I can’t say it’s like a favorite book or that I’m going to recommend it to a ton of people. I wanted to put it down many a time. But I kept going and I’m glad I did. This book is going to stay with me for the rest of my life. It is a classic, and belongs in every library.

I can definitely see this being taught at the college level.

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