Illustrator: Ray Cruz
Have you ever had an "Alexander" day? By that, I mean, have you ever had such a horrible day that you wish you could move to Australia? Judith Viorst does a fantastic job of identifying with children's and adolescents' everyday troubles in this classic piece of realistic fiction. Alexander wakes up to find gum in his hair; his brothers all find toys in their breakfast cereal and he doesn't; he gets smushed on the ride to school; his friends decide he is suddenly their "3rd best friend"; he goes shoe shopping with his mom and brothers after school only to discover the shoe he wants is out of stock; he disrupts his father's office; and, in the end, he has to eat lima beans for supper. All through the book, he wishes he could move to Australia. His mom assures him that, even in Australia, little boys (and others) have bad days every once in a while. Realistic fiction is an important genre for young readers. Sometimes, ordinary adults and individuals cannot identify with children on certain issues, and this type of literature allows readers to understand that others face the same trials as they. Everyone has faced at least one bad day, including children. I think Judith Viorst created a standard by which other realistic fiction can be written. The words and illustrations are simple, the storyline is smooth, and the issues covered in the story are common to all. This book has a permanent place in my bookshelf, as I'm sure it does in many households. I believe this is one book with which any child can identify, even those who live in Australia.
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