Sam I Am

by Ilene Cooper

When Sam realizes his interfaith parents can't figure out how to celebrate the holidays, he turns to God for answers. An insightful and often hilarious story--now in paperback.


Twelve-year-old Sam Goodman knows the holidays are going to be difficult when his dog knocks over the Hanukkah bush/Christmas tree. His Jewish father and Christian mother have never quite figured out how to celebrate both holidays, and when the tree goes down, their resentments, simmering for so long, boil over. His older sister and younger brother don't seem to have any solutions for the family's predicament; his best friend Avi seems to know who he is as he prepares for his Bar Mitzvah; his secret crush, Heather, knows who she is and who she wants to associate with.

Genres: Christmas, Jewish

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Kelly Jahng · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really thoughtful look at some deep issues. Sam’s struggle to understand his religious background is very believable and the Goodman family is endearing. I enjoyed seeing the growth they all experienced.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Sam’s dog knocks over the “Hanukkah bush” – his family’s Christmas tree – he knows that the holidays this year won’t be the same. Because his mother is Episcopalian and his father is Jewish, Sam’s family, which also includes an older sister and younger brother, have celebrated the holidays as a compromise. The absence of the Hanukkah bush this year, however, bring up dormant family tensions and cause Sam to think seriously for the first time about religion. At the same time, Sam has begun a Holocaust unit in school, gets his first girlfriend, and watches his best friend prepare for his bar mitzvah, all of which lead to reflections on God and his dual religious heritage. In this way, “Sam I Am” is slightly reminiscent of “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.” Though it perhaps would have been better told in first person, the novel is a realistic and optimistic story.

[Jocelyn Haeberle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The boys version of "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret". Well, not quite that simple. Where that one touched on religion and concentrated on coming-of-age events, this does the opposite. Sam's reactions to the Holocaust stories are moving, his search for his own faith and belief system is interesting to watch. I have always had my own fascination with Judaism and so enjoyed his journey very much. As for the coming-of-age aspects of the story, it was good to see the boys perspective on this. His blindness to his crush's flaws was believable and his relationships with his family and friends rang true. Keep in mind, what I actually read was an "uncorrected proof", the finished product could be somewhat different from what I just finished but I bet not. I would like to try a few other books by Ilene Cooper, see if I learn from and enjoy them as much as this one.

[Kevin Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam is forced to think more and more about religion. The role that it plays in each of his parent's lives and in his own. The fact that his parents come from Jewish and Episcopalian faiths comes to a head when the "hannakah bush" is overturned by their dog. Not only this, but the halocaust is the next major topic of study right after the holidays. Sam wrestles with some weighty subjects and in the end is able to make a stand for right over...not wrong, but apathy.

This story does a pretty good job of showing a 7th grade perspective of a conflict in religion, family life, and simple growing up. I feel that the author has done a good job of helping the reader to expand their thinking about these subjects.

[Salsabrarian]

Sam Goodman's father is Jewish and his mother is Christian. His parents have not raised the children up in either religion, leaving that decision to be made by each child. As a result, the family celebrates Christmas with a "Hanukkah bush." When the dog knocks over the "bush" and breaks Mrs. Goodman's treasured ornaments, a tension rises in the family as they attempt to celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas Eve with the grandmothers. This tension, and a unit on the Holocaust in school, has Sam asking questions about religion, God, and bad things that happen in the world.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. From the perspective of a 7th grader in a mixed-religion family. An interesting perspective on God and faith, but reads more like an instruction manual to me. Some good examples of choosing friends/peers over what you know is right, and (finally!) standing up for the right thing, but weak IMO.