When I Was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up

by Amy Ehrlich, Susan Cooper

Ten award-winning authors--Norma Fox Mazer, Rita Williams-Garcia, Paul Fleischman, Jane Yolen, Howard Norman, E.L. Konigsburg, Michael J. Rosen, Kyoto Mori, Karen Hesse, and Joseph Bruchac--create a bond of intimacy and excitement as they reach across their own childhoods to those of their readers. The stories, so different in tone, style, and content, have in common the narrative intensity and attention to detail that mark a writer's sensibility at any age.

Genres: Short Stories, Nonfiction, Memoir, Childrens, Biography Memoir, Essays, Middle Grade

First published March 7, 1996

About the author

Amy Ehrlich is the author of more than thirty books for young readers and is also a winner of The Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award for her novel Joyride, which was also chosen Booklist Choice Best Book of the Decade. She lives on a farm in Northern Vermont with her husband and a great many domestic and agricultural animals.

Reviews

[Alejandro Teruel · Rating 2 out of 5]

These are poignant, funny, heart-wrenching or nostalgic stories about childhood experiences. Mainly autobiographical in nature, they look back with bemusement at strange, passing phases and naive points of view or with astonishment at a defining moment for the origin of a life journey or insight into character or the future. There is a difference between writing for children and writing about childhood; in my opinion, most of these stories require an adult viewpoint to make full sense out of them, which is why I would recommend carefully choosing the stories for a particular child or teenager and, preferably , reading them together.

Some of the stories included in this collection are heart-warming and describe moments when the child-narrator realizes he or she is loved for his or her own sake: such is the case of Laurence Yep´s funny and touching Chinatown The Great Rat Hunt, or Katherine Paterson´s Why I never ran away from home set behind fighting lines in wartime China, or Mary Pope Osbourne´s All-ball, a story about transcending childish feelings of betrayal. Or in the case of Susan Cooper´s Muffin, it is about being loved for selfless actions and being rewarded by finding an unexpected ally in a small and intensely loyal dog.

Some show the narrator finding their own way or their own voice as in James Howe´s haunting Everything will be okay, Francesca Lia Block´s reconciliating Blue and Nicholasa Mohr´s irreverent Taking a dare.

Reeve Lindberg´s Flying is about a sudden insight into her father (the aviation pioneer Charles Lindberg) character.
Walter Dean Myers´ Reverend Abbott and those bloodshot eyes wonderfully sets up a Harlem background but fizzles out in what at most is an amusing but minor anecdote.

Scout´s honor by Avi, is an extremely funny story about a brave but somewhat precocious and not very well thought-out attempt to camp out in the "wilderness" of New Jersey.

Curiously detached from the strange and mysterious world of grown-ups, these stories´children dream, suffer, love and wander within orbits defined by parents, siblings, friends and classmates, and their own imagination and sensibilities.

[Karly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cool for getting a glimpse of the early lives of some writers for youth, which also took the reader very quickly into a variety of different settings and atmospheres. Not all of them were dead on non-fiction, but all were auto-biographical in some way.

I read Crispin, by Avi last summer and wasn't that impressed, but his story in this book was by far the most amusing.

I thought these might be stories I would read my kids, then after reading them, I was disinclined to-I'm not sure why. In further afterthought, though, I think the stories offer up a lot of opportunities for children to get a different perspective on childhood. The stories give them a look into a child's experience as a missionary kid in China during wartime, a child living in England during WWII, a kid having grown up in Brooklyn never before setting foot outside of it. But the stories deal with things that are real and big in many children's lives as well: dealing with bullies, with the loss of a parent, if even for a time; with becoming ones own self and not simply comparing oneself with older siblings or having to choose between parent's beliefs.

[Moriah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had to read for an online English class. I enjoyed it.

[Maddison Aiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very, very sad book. This book is about true stories that happen long ago that are very sad and deperessing. You can also get this in the school liabery. This is a book if you like sad non-fiction stories. This also has multiple stories. I give this a 5 star rating. I love this book a lot.

[Albert Hoang · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my first books in English.

[Mahmoud Al Masri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because the writers’ stories put me right in the scene as if I were watching them! Each writer wrote his memoir in different theme. For example, “All-Ball’s” theme was that we don’t have to be sad when something bad happened because once day, everything will change. “The Great Rat Hunt’s” theme was to show the people that we should be brave enough to help my families if they are facing a problem.

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volumes 1 and 2 combined. Interesting compilation of young adult authors' memories. My favorites - Osborne's All-Ball, Yep's challenge with acceptance, Myer's Window Watchers (are they still around??), Avi's bravery, Konigsburg's resilience, and Bruchac's themes of nature and reading. Animal lovers may enjoy Howe, Cooper, and Rosen. Those struggling with family, friends - Block, Cooper, Mazer, Fleischman, Konigsburg, Mori, Hesse.

[Xinmin Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

when Mary Pope Osborne was eight years old, he use to live at a white wooden army quarters at the edge of a thick pine forest in fort Eustis , Virginia with his family, then everything changes being with his dad has to leave in six weeks. It make him burst into tears, he know that he couldn't go with him this time. His dad said to him that it will just be a year but he understand it couldn't just be a year.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short stories by famous YA authors about their own experiences growing up. Good book to use in small groups divided by interest (not all stories would be compelling to all middle school readers). Let students choose which story they would like to read and then discuss common themes as a class. Good intro to memoir writing.

[carrietracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read aloud two stories of this collection. My third graders are begging to know where they can get this book. No concern for the fact that it is certainly to hard for them, they just love it so far.

It is most age appropriate for children probably in 5th or 6th grade.

[Bernadette Kearns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the stories, especially the ones by MP Osbourne and Avi. I don't think most kids would enjoy the book because the stories feel old fashioned, but I will use several of them during my narrative unit for mini lessons.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I liked Avi's, Lindbergh's and Howe's recollections better. Why all men, I wonder? I do think both boys as well as girls will respond to them. Many of the stories felt ancient and unrelatable to ten year old kids today. I will use these as mentor pieces during our narrative unit.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original stories about growing up from the likes of Norma Fox Mazer, Jane Yolen, Konigsburg, Joe Bruchac, etc. I love that it has a photo of the author when they were about middle school age!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the stories, esp. for memoir writing for middle schoolers. I especially love Avi's story about being a cub scout in the Bronx and having to earn his camping badge...great read!

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The memoir "Scout's Honor" was borrowed from this book.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

The memoir "Everything Will Be Okay" was borrowed from this book.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of these stories that I read, I feel bad for the authors, until you look in their notes in the back of the story and it says that they made half of the story up.

[June Pecchia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newbery-award winning authors telling their own childhood tales... how could you ask for more? Touching and funny throughout... my fave is Avi's hilarious "Scout's Honor".

[June Pecchia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another collection of Newbery-award authors' childhood tales... enjoy.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book :)

[Realynne Ureña · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is improving my reading stamina by a level t to a level u.

[Elena Sotelo-McCrary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I review a fair amount of YA material, it feels as if I know an author as I will read one of their titles, and then move on to another. I picked this book up at Half-Price books because I happen to enjoy short-stories. It is summer and a chance to think about the past--especially when visiting family and friends. This is exactly what the authors did in this book you could use to entice a reluctant reader. It has stories of bullies; friendship; family; embracing culture, and loss. Who hasn't gone through something like this, or had to talk with their children, or grandchildren about these issues. Tackling tough subjects in stories that were interesting made the authors seem as if they lived next door. A friend introduced me to Francesca Lia Block a number of years ago, so reading her entry was especially fun--like visit a friend you have not seen in awhile. Also, reading these stories made me think about writing my own. Thoughts get trapped when there is no where else to go, so let them out. If you really want to challenge yourself enter this contest. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2...

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book with personal narratives children’s authors write about experiences from when they were kids. It’s not necessary to read this book before volume two, both books have great stories. Read each story carefully before sharing it with students, as some of the stories may be too mature for certain age groups.

[Scott Done · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read plenty of stories for this young adult literature class but “Blue” by Francesca Lia Block is the only one worth mentioning. I want to cry at how beautiful everything is about it, from the dolls named after poets, to the flowers, the blue. Pls pls pls give it a glance if you have the chance :)

[Jill Steeley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of stories by 10 well-known children's authors was a good read. Each told a story of childhood-some biographical, others with whispers of their childhoods woven through the story. Following the story, each author spoke briefly to the reader.

[Paige Thompson · Rating 1 out of 5]

i had to read this for my english class. that may have swayed my opinion a bit, but its not my style. the stories were pretty lackluster and the only one i really enjoyed was the one about the blind horse. i can’t remember the title but if you read it, you know it.

[Meghann Stelzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this sitting on a shelf at my school; it was a great palette cleanser. Interesting stories about childhood from recognized authors.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting stories about the childhood time and place of each author.

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading these stories; maybe you'll find yourself represented. Next will be to read other works from these authors.

[Pamela Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short stories by several well-known children's authors. All the stories are about children, some are based on the author's childhood, some are fiction, but all are wonderful.