Susie, Sadly, and the Black Torpedo of Doom

Delightful and written with such clarity and honesty. You enter into the mind of a boy growing up in a time when life was simpler but the thoughts and feelings are universal to anyone's childhood. From learning to accept his newborn sister into the family, declaring war on the babysitter aptly named Witch Hazel, and describing the love of kick ball and the never-to-forget first crush, the anecdotes are hilarious observations into relationships he has with his parents, his siblings, his friends and neighbors. And he delves into each of the characters wholeheartedly. I thought I was the only one who criticizes my Mom's cooking! Written with imagination, the stories jump a little in time as he weaves his memories around his baby sister Susie, but the personal pictures help to define each anecdote and helps the reader to visualize and bring the story to life. And oh, I was worried the book would end sadly, no pun intended, but the author kept it so light throughout, that the ending was very very touching.