Saturday, April 7, 2012

Sam I Am by Ilene Cooper


Title:  Sam I am
Author:  Ilene Cooper
Publisher:  Scholastic Press  Year:  2004
ISBN:  0-439-43967-1  
Genre: Fiction/Realistic
This book is for Ages: 10-14
AR Points: 8.0
Subjects/Themes: Family/Religion/Identity

Plot Summary:  Sam’s mom is Christian but his dad is Jewish.  When his dog Pluto knocks over the Hanukah Bush and breaks his mother’s treasured ornaments.  His parents decide to change the way the family celebrate the holidays.  Sam wonders about God and religious tolerance as he searches to define who he is, and what he believes.

Review:   Good book with likeable characters.  Sam has a voice that reflects his 7th grade self.  He likes, girls, is starting to grow up and is not sure what he thinks about God.   Sam I am acknowledges religious intolerance and racism as it is encountered by the young people in school and the media.  Sam I am is a good book for students to read when studying WWII or the Holocaust.  Ilene Cooper’s book provides insight and answers for some of the questions that many adults and children encounter when struggling with questions about religion. 

If you like this book you may also like: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass.

No comments:

Post a Comment