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Despite his love of drawing and his feelings of inadequacy as an athlete, sixth-grader Xander Suitcase Bingham works to become a baseball player to win the approval of his father.
评论 (5)
《学校图书馆杂志》(School Library Journal)书评
Gr 3-6-An 11-year-old African-American boy struggles to gain self-esteem and to earn his father's love and respect. Xander is tall for his age and his dad expects him to excel at basketball, but the boy's passion in life is for art. Xander's peers, and even his sister, ridicule him because of his height and his clumsiness on the basketball court. However, he works hard to gain mastery over his awkward body, and finally achieves a degree of success as an athlete. In the process, he discovers that his father loves him and supports his artistic endeavors as well. Walter does a splendid job of drawing readers into Xander's mind and heart, and of creating characterization and setting. The plot moves well, and the sports action and the child's personal struggles should sustain the interest of even reluctant readers. The prose successfully brings the emotions of the young protagonist to life. The author develops the novel's theme with skill and subtlety, showing that persistence and being true to oneself ultimately bring success.-Paul Kelsey, East Baton Rouge Parish Public Library, LA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
出版社周刊评论
Xander's fellow sixth-graders and his perfect older sister Brandy taunt the artistic 11-year-old by calling him "Suitcase" and "See-more" because he's a gangly six feet two inches tall and wears a size 13 shoe. But his father's disappointment in a son who loves to draw and is always picked last at basketball stings more than his peers' jabs. With the exception of the likable Xander, the adult characters prove more compelling than the roundup of usual suspects in the elementary school cast. Into this mix, Walter (Justin and the Best Biscuits in the World) injects two powerful mentors: Mrs. Cloud, the fine arts teacher, and Jeff, the insightful coach who ultimately helps him find his own game. Although Walter maintains a buoyant tone, she also delivers some painful family truths in an authentically offhand way, such as when Xander's mother jokingly tells him that his father "thinks you're lazy and don't want to ruin your long, slender artist's fingers." Flavin's black-and-white drawings softly chronicle Xander's transformation into confidence and ease. Readers will cheer for Xander as he develops his talents, manages to please both his father and himself, and sends his self-doubt packing. Ages 8-up. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
《儿童读物杂志》(Horn Book)书评
(Intermediate) When you're six feet, two inches tall, eleven years old, and your father loves the game of basketball, everybody expects that you'll love basketball, too, and that you'll be good at playing. Such assumptions are causing problems for Alexander Bingham. He doesn't like basketball; he likes to draw. He doesn't like the nicknames the other kids call him, Suitcase and See-more, which make fun of his size. He feels awkward, inept, and lonely-feelings familiar to every child entering adolescence, though not often expressed by a black boy in a children's book. Alexander is helped through his awkwardness by Jeff, a caring adult who works at the community center and who accepts Alexander's different interests. Jeff also helps Alexander develop his physical prowess by practicing jump rope and walking across a wire, which in turn has social benefits. Everything works out for Alexander: he improves his basketball game, he develops more self-esteem and becomes less self-conscious about his size, he is able to use his drawing talents to benefit the school, and he becomes closer to his ""perfect"" sister and somewhat distant father in the process. The miraculous trans-formation of Alexander during the course of this short novel, while commendable, is too smooth and swift to be believable. Yet the book may be reassuring to young readers in its honest portrayal of Alexander's insecurities and his willingness to persevere. candelaria silva (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus评论
With feet so large that he's earned the nickname ``Suitcase,'' sixth-grader Alexander'Xander to family and friends'appears unable to play basketball. He doesn't enjoy it as much as he enjoys drawing, and he can't control his body and the ball. Trying hard to please his father, he practices daily, jumping rope and drilling, but the coach, Jeff, recognizes that Xander's talents lay elsewhere. During a routine baseball practice, Xander shows himself to be a superior pitcher; later, by drawing the winning entry in an art contest, Xander impresses his father, who is finally beginning to recognize that his son has talent. Walter (Second Daughter, 1996, etc.) has created a story that lets readers see and appreciate Xander's progress; the lesson that everyone has at least one special purpose is familiar, but worth repeating. Those who have been teased will relish Xander's ability to disregard labels and prove the bullies wrong. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 8-12)
《书目》(Booklist)书评
Gr. 3^-6. Mocked by classmates as "See-more" because of his height and drawing ability, sixth-grader Xander "Suitcase" Bingham is a tall African American boy who cannot play basketball. His athletic father is disappointed and worries about a son who "sits in a room drawing all the time." The coach, however, encourages Xander to develop his coordination by jumping rope and suggests that he may be better suited for a different sport. Xander becomes a skillful baseball pitcher and draws closer to his father, even as his team loses an important game. He also enters a city art contest and wins, realizing that now he can have it all, sports and art. Unfortunately, his father accepts Xander's artistic talent because he can also play baseball. There are flaws here, including patches of wooden dialogue and inconsistent plotting. Xander, however, is a special character and may encourage other artistically talented but athletically challenged students. --Linda Perkins