My Life as a Ten Year-Old Boy

This is the only first hand behind-the-scenes look at the Simpsons that I've read. It's interesting as Nancy walks you through (pretty much step by step) the entire production of the Simpsons and gives you a brief introduction to those responsible for our favorite show. Very entertaining and a definite must read for even the mild Simpsons fans (is that an oxymoron?).

My Life As A 10-Year-Old Boy is the fascinating, behind-the-scenes story of Nancy Cartwright, who is the voice of Bart Simpson on "The Simpsons", the very popular and longest running comedy series on television today. Here revealed for her legions of fans is the inside story of Cartwright's career, with intimate and candid anecdotes from a true insider. We are treated to Cartwright's history of her life as Bart going back to the early days when she received a call from her agent about an audition for an animated "interstitials" series that was to be sandwiched between commercial breaks and "the Tracey Ullman Show". Nancy was originally asked to read for the role of Lisa Simpson, but landed the role of Bart, a devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, clever, soon to be a pop culture icon, ten year old boy from an hilariously dysfunctional family in the dysfunctional town of Springfield. My Life As A 10-Year-Old Boy is a "must" for all Simpson fans everywhere!

I have been the coordinator of Mensa's special interest group devoted to "The Simpsons" for many years now and when a fellow member of the group had an opportunity to go to a book signing for Nancy Cartwright's "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy" I asked him if he could meet the author for me and get me an autographed copy of the book. When I received the book I began reading in earnest and I could not put it down.Nancy Cartwright delights fans and non-fans of "The Simpsons" with her first book, "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy." Her book goes beyond a traditional autobiography and takes an interesting look at the inner workings of one of America's most beloved television series. Cartwright's cozy writing style makes readers feel like they are getting a 12-year personal backstage tour of the show. As an original and integral castmember, Cartwright deserves attention; the book is a must for those interested in what goes on behind the scenes of the show. Nancy (after reading the book readers feel like they should be on a first-name basis with the writer)also shares her own personal and professional development with regard to her voice career. This amply satisfies the curiosity of anyone who has ever asked the question,"how does someone get a really cool job like that?" Interactions with guest stars, details about production and the author's personal reflections on people and events connected with the show serve to provide readers with a unique perspective of one of the most popular TV shows of all time. In short, Nancy Cartwright's book, "My Life as a 10-Year-Old Boy" is an interesting and fascinating read. I would definitely recommend it.

The sayings "Eat my shorts!" "Don't have a cow, man!" are but a few of Bart Simpson. Ever wonder what it's like to be the voice of a famous cartoon? Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes and what it takes to make the cartoon come to life?Nancy Cartwright is the voice of one of the most famous ten-year old boys in America culture and her book is an excellent look into the behind the scenes activities of the Simpson's.Unlike like a lot of books in this genre, this is the first that not only tells a story of the person but also gives a glimpse of what goes into the show, production notes and working with the cast.Easy to read and follow the storyline, you'll meet Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge and the whole cast from a whole new perspective. It's funny, brilliant and entertaining and now when I watch the show I have deeper appreciation of what goes on behind the scenes.

I should preface this by saying that I am a Simpsons fanactic. Because of the wonders of digital cable, I am able to watch the show -- 3 episodes worth -- every afternoon as I'm making dinner. To date, it's the only show on television that makes me laugh until I snort. Now that I've painted that beautiful picture, let me get to the book...I was pleasantly surprised by this book and by Nancy Cartwright, the author. She did a great job of mixing the obscure, behind-the-scenes stuff that fans (like me)love with a pleasant grouping of autobiographical sketches and personal photos. I hadn't known that Nancy had such a wide-range of voice experience!Truly, though, it was the "Behind the Simpsons" stuff that sold me. I thoroughly enjoyed about how the show began, what the performers are really like, and how time consuming/complicated it is to put together a 24-minute episode. Also, it was great when Nancy would reference different scenes/anecdotes from the episodes. I felt like such a Simpsons insider, especially when I was able to say, "I saw that!" or "I remember that!"A final note: Make sure to look on the lower, right-hand corner of the last hundred or so pages in the book. By flipping quickly through the pages (think "flip book"), you can see an adorable animated short featuring Nancy and her alter ego, Bart Simpson. So cute!Make sure to give this to every Simpsons fan on your holiday gift list. They will definitely appreciate it.