The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech

Classic Gary Paulsen, this short young adult novelette takes readers on the fast-paced, rocky road journey called puberty. Written as a journal, Paulsen reminds us all that being a teenager is pretty sour, but with some effort you can make lemonade out of lemons. Excellent read for kids and parents alike.

As a Gary Paulsen fan, I'm always on the lookout for his latest. When I found this slim volume, I at first thought I'd share it with the sixth or seventh grade teachers in my building. But then I read it, and I'll be honest, when I find one this good, I don't share. I'm really glad I kept it to myself because my 8th-grade students loved it. Duane Homer Leech is twelve and suffers from the onset of puberty. Here are a few tidbits to tempt you ... Duane uses the word ELBOW to distract himself when he begins visualizing women's body parts in everything he comes in contact with. The code word ELBOW is used throughout the book to avoid actually mentioning anything unacceptable. The kids thought this was great! They also could relate to the fact that Duane could never predict what his body would do next. His changing voice and the constant eruption of pimples are just a few of the images that other teens and pre-teens can relate to. Duane compares what he is going through to a bird family that has built a nest outside his window. He notes daily changes in the appearance and development of the new baby in the nest, complete with clever little sketches. Once again, Gary Paulsen has a hit. If you are going through the teen years now or remember anything about those days of the past, find a copy of THE AMAZING LIFE OF BIRDS. It's a real hoot! Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

What a little (84 pages) gem this is! I picked it up because it's written by Gary Paulsen, whose book Harris and Me is one of my all-time favorites, and I found this to be a charming, funny look at a twelve year old boy's puberty/growing pains. Sparsely told, we follow poor Duane through 20 days of his life by reading his journal about all the horrible things that occur to him on a daily basis. What a sympathetic creature he is! From zits to ELBOWS (you have to read the book to understand) to smashing a girl's face with a volleyball, Duane "Doo Doo" Leech suffers more than his fair share of pre-teen tragedy in such a short period of time. The best part of this book is the tie-in to the little bird's nest found just outside Duane's windowsill; he chronicles what's going on with the baby bird, drawing parallels to his own growing pains and eventually learning that he might be able to fly, too, at least figuratively. Paulsen has taken an awkward time in a boy's life and made it humorous, cringe-worthy, and at times even poignant. My biggest complaint is its length; this book should easily have been longer and it might have used a bit less tragedy--how much can one boy take? But overally I loved it and can easily recommend it, especially to all those boys who feel that they may never make it through middle school. I can easily envision a sequel--are you listening, Mr. Paulsen??

Using a humorous approach to everyday life of young boys, many lessons can be learned and enjoyed. I bought this for my 3 grandsons