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- My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park
My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
12+
ISBN
0803732279
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Editor reviews
2 reviews
A Grand Slam Home Run
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
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The day T.C. met Alejandra was the day he fell in love with her. The only problem was to convince her that she loved him in return. It took a while, but it happened. This is a story of true love, dedication, purpose and having fun. This could be one of my top ten favorites of 2008.
So, heres the cast of characters:
T.C., short for Anthony Conigliaro, comes from a long line of family members named after baseball players, mostly from the Red Sox, although he does have an Aunt Babe and an Aunt Ruth, who are life partners. T.C.s mom died when he was six. That was when he met Augie in school and they became brothers, in every sense of the word. Hes in love with Alejandra but doesnt quite know how to show it.
Augie is Chinese. His father owns a bookstore and his mother is a theater critic with an eye towards seeing oppression in every play. Augie is a diva and can belt out a tune with the best of them. Hes got pizzazz and flair. Hes gay, but hasnt quite figured out what everyone else already knows. Theater is in his blood.
Alejandras father was a diplomat in Mexico and his goal is for Ale to follow in his ambassadorial footsteps. She, however, would rather sing and dance her way into stardom. How will Papa react to that? Shes led a privileged life and has met famous politicos and entertainers. Some may call her snooty.
The premise: Ms. LaFontaine, their 11th grade English teacher, has assigned the class an essay about their most excellent year. For T.C., Augie and Ale, it was 9th grade. Chapters alternate among the three, writing about the events of the year. There are e-mails, chats, diaries and letters to significant people. T.C. writes to his mother. Ale begins by writing to Jackie Kennedy. Augie&you guessed it&every star/diva you can think of&Liza, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall.
There is drama. There is fun. There are tears. There is laughter. There is sports and theater and adventure. I guarantee that you will not find one character that you wont like In My Most Excellent Year. You will love them all.
Im not going to divulge the details of the story. Thats for you to enjoy. The book may be a tad predictable&no, more than a tad&but it is the most fun Ive had reading in quite a while. Give it a try. You wont regret it.
So, heres the cast of characters:
T.C., short for Anthony Conigliaro, comes from a long line of family members named after baseball players, mostly from the Red Sox, although he does have an Aunt Babe and an Aunt Ruth, who are life partners. T.C.s mom died when he was six. That was when he met Augie in school and they became brothers, in every sense of the word. Hes in love with Alejandra but doesnt quite know how to show it.
Augie is Chinese. His father owns a bookstore and his mother is a theater critic with an eye towards seeing oppression in every play. Augie is a diva and can belt out a tune with the best of them. Hes got pizzazz and flair. Hes gay, but hasnt quite figured out what everyone else already knows. Theater is in his blood.
Alejandras father was a diplomat in Mexico and his goal is for Ale to follow in his ambassadorial footsteps. She, however, would rather sing and dance her way into stardom. How will Papa react to that? Shes led a privileged life and has met famous politicos and entertainers. Some may call her snooty.
The premise: Ms. LaFontaine, their 11th grade English teacher, has assigned the class an essay about their most excellent year. For T.C., Augie and Ale, it was 9th grade. Chapters alternate among the three, writing about the events of the year. There are e-mails, chats, diaries and letters to significant people. T.C. writes to his mother. Ale begins by writing to Jackie Kennedy. Augie&you guessed it&every star/diva you can think of&Liza, Judy Garland, Lauren Bacall.
There is drama. There is fun. There are tears. There is laughter. There is sports and theater and adventure. I guarantee that you will not find one character that you wont like In My Most Excellent Year. You will love them all.
Im not going to divulge the details of the story. Thats for you to enjoy. The book may be a tad predictable&no, more than a tad&but it is the most fun Ive had reading in quite a while. Give it a try. You wont regret it.
User reviews
3 reviews
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0(3)
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sheer genious
Overall rating
5.0
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Characters
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Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
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Reader reviewed by Shelby
My Most Excellent Year is the most excellent book I have ever read. It describes love, passion, determination, and strive in the perspective of three very different 9th grade students. It is witty, charming, and heart warming from start to finish. I can't say much more about it because it can be all summed up with these words.
My Most Excellent Year is the most excellent book I have ever read. It describes love, passion, determination, and strive in the perspective of three very different 9th grade students. It is witty, charming, and heart warming from start to finish. I can't say much more about it because it can be all summed up with these words.
G
Guest
#1 Reviewer
fabulous
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
N/A
Characters
N/A
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Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
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Reader reviewed by Melissa
this book was really hard to put down...and i read this one during the summer. it flowed real nicely and gave readers alot more perspective than most books. it's about the adventures three high school students experienced during what they believed to be their best year ever. although i don't think 9th grade is a great year, these three learned some of life's greatest lessons from love to rejection and even how to be yourself. it was an eye opener and a true masterpiece. applause to steve kluger!
this book was really hard to put down...and i read this one during the summer. it flowed real nicely and gave readers alot more perspective than most books. it's about the adventures three high school students experienced during what they believed to be their best year ever. although i don't think 9th grade is a great year, these three learned some of life's greatest lessons from love to rejection and even how to be yourself. it was an eye opener and a true masterpiece. applause to steve kluger!
G
Guest
#1 Reviewer
Excellent!
Overall rating
5.0
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Characters
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Writing Style
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Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
N/A
Reader reviewed by Ella
T.C. Keller, Augie Hwong, and Ale Perez, ninth graders, live in Brookline, Massachusetts. T.C. speaks with a strong Boston accent, lives for the Red Sox, and lives with his father, Pop. Augie is a male theatrical star - and everyone knows that he's gay except for himself. Ale is a transplant from Mexico City - she's also the ambassador's daughter, and living under the pressure of impressing foreign dignitaries every weekend.
The book is told through letters, emails, instant messenger, and regular prose. I loved how this was done, as well as the way it switched between all three main characters. The story was excellently written, and it honestly wasn't all that predictable (except for the relationships), which adds to the charm.
The characters were great, and very realistic. However, I didn't like how Augie realized that he was in love with Andy, and then he seemed so sure of himself. Personally, I feel like he would at least care a little bit about what the people at school though of his coming out. However, this definitely didn't detract from my fondness for the book.
T.C. meets an eight year old deaf boy, Hucky, and he and Augie (who are have been practically brothers since they were eight), as well as Ale, take him under their wing and become great friends with him. Hucky loves Mary Poppins with his whole heart, and the two boys and Ale have a lot of fun with Hucky.
I thought that this was an excellent book for both adults and teenagers alike. I loved it.
T.C. Keller, Augie Hwong, and Ale Perez, ninth graders, live in Brookline, Massachusetts. T.C. speaks with a strong Boston accent, lives for the Red Sox, and lives with his father, Pop. Augie is a male theatrical star - and everyone knows that he's gay except for himself. Ale is a transplant from Mexico City - she's also the ambassador's daughter, and living under the pressure of impressing foreign dignitaries every weekend.
The book is told through letters, emails, instant messenger, and regular prose. I loved how this was done, as well as the way it switched between all three main characters. The story was excellently written, and it honestly wasn't all that predictable (except for the relationships), which adds to the charm.
The characters were great, and very realistic. However, I didn't like how Augie realized that he was in love with Andy, and then he seemed so sure of himself. Personally, I feel like he would at least care a little bit about what the people at school though of his coming out. However, this definitely didn't detract from my fondness for the book.
T.C. meets an eight year old deaf boy, Hucky, and he and Augie (who are have been practically brothers since they were eight), as well as Ale, take him under their wing and become great friends with him. Hucky loves Mary Poppins with his whole heart, and the two boys and Ale have a lot of fun with Hucky.
I thought that this was an excellent book for both adults and teenagers alike. I loved it.
G
Guest
#1 Reviewer
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