boring ( )

I love Joan Bauer. I liked her books from way back, but after hearing her speak just about a year ago, I love her even more. She is vibrant, vivacious, purposeful and she's a good storyteller, apparently coming from a family of storytellers. So, when I saw a random copy of Stand Tall, I figured it was worth reading...and I was right.

Twelve-year-old Tree has a complicated life. He's the tallest seventh grader at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School, weighing in at 6' 7" (that equates to a size 16 shoe, if you're intersted). He's not good at sports, even though everyone thinks a 6' 7" kid is a born athlete. His parents are recently divorced and they have shared custody so he (and the school) needs a color coded schedule to know where he's residing on any given day. And his Vietnam Vet grandfather just got his leg amputated below the knee. So, things aren't easy.

While teens may not relate to everything in Stand Tall, there's enough to gain and keep their attention. As Susan often reminds me, Joan Bauer is one of only a handful of authors whose books are good for middle grades. There's no violence, no cursing, no inappropriate behavior. What Ms. Bauer does produce is a good story line that combines obstacles with hope, a daunting-looking future offset by strong role model characters. All this with humor and great characters. Stand Tall is no slouch of a book. OK, you can groan now. ( )

Tree gets his name from the fact that he is twelve years old and is six feet, three inches tall. Everyone who meets him can't help but comment on his height, and Tree is getting tired of it. But that is just a drop in the bucket, compared to dealing with his parents' divorce and helping his grandfather, a Vietnam vet who just had his leg amputated. But when he meets Sophie, a unique girl who is facing down school bullies in her own way, she begins to teach him that confidence comes with believing in yourself. Tree is able to use his new-found confidence when an environmental disaster threatens the entire town.

I adore Joan Bauer's sassy female protagonist, and here she creates a male protagonist who is just as determined and interesting. Tree is a great example for kids because he is kind and takes care of his friends and family. Even though it's hard to split his life between his mother and father's houses, he does his best to maintain a cheery outlook. Students will appreciate this very real look at divorce and how it affects family, and they will definitely find strength in Tree.

For ages 10 and up. ( )

As if being twelve wasn’t hard enough, Tree is already six feet and three inches tall and his parents are recently divorced. He faces many difficulties thrown his way, but his Vietnam Veteran grandfather helps him get through the divorce and helps Tree realize that being different isn’t a bad thing.

This was the first time I had read a contemporary realistic fiction book and I enjoyed hearing a young boy’s story. I felt that there was a lot of ways to connect with Tree—being different and going through a divorce for example.

As an activity to go with this book and to practice comparing and contrasting, students can make a Venn diagram and compare Tree’s mom’s house to his dad’s house. This book could also be used to introduce the Vietnam War or a self-esteem unit.

Joan Bauer is becoming one of my favorite YA authors! I love the multi-layering in this book: Tree's relationships with his family and his peers, his grandfather with his Vietnam war experiences and his recent below-the-knee amputation, the issue of divorce and all its ramifications, etc. As usual with Bauer's books, I love the characters--especially independent and quirky Sophie. This book gives the reader a lot to think about in terms of self-image, peer pressure, divorce, war, community response to a natural disaster, etc. Highly Recommended! ( )