What I Call Life

by Jill Wolfson

I haven’t even explained yet about the Knitting Lady. Who is she? How did I wind up on her doorstep? How did I meet the other girls who became my friends—no, they became more than friends—despite the fact that they drove me absolutely crazy.

I need to take a giant step back, return myself to the police car and explain how I, Cal Lavender, came to be living a life that wasn’t my own.

A witty and moving first novel that uncovers another side of the foster-care system

Cal Lavender is perfectly happy living her anonymous life, even if she does have to play mother to her own mother a whole lot more than an eleven-year-old should. But when Cal’s mother has one of her “unfortunate episodes” in the middle of the public library, she is whisked off by the authorities and Cal is escorted to a seat in the back of a police car.

On “just a short, temporary detour from what I call life,” Cal finds herself in a group home with four other girls, watched over by a strange old woman everyone refers to as the Knitting Lady. At first Cal can think of nothing but how to get out of this nuthouse. She knows she doesn’t belong there. But it turns out that all the girls, and even the Knitting Lady, may have a lot more in common than they could have imagined.
A fresh new voice in middle-grade fiction—Jill Wolfson’s unforgettable characters will blunder their way into readers’ hearts.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Fostering, Fiction, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Coming Of Age

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Hello! I'm the author of novels for middle grade readers (8-12) and young adults.

Coming soon! FURIOUS. April 2013 from Henry Holt. The Furies of Greek mythology are rising!

My debut novel, "What I Call Life" and its follow-up, "Home and Other Big, Fat Lies" revolve around the lives of kids living in foster care. I'm also the author of "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" (Henry Holt, 2009). It's about sudden death, sudden life.

Reviews

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I Call Life is the story of Cal Lavender, an eleven-year-old girl whose mom, Betty, suffers from episodes. One day Betty has an episode at the library for everyone to see. Cal is forced into a foster home with four other girls and the knitting lady. Her mom is whisked away to a place where they will teach her to be a good mom. During her time at the foster home, Cal learns how to loosen up and let someone else take care of her for once.

This was an okay read. It was very didactic and the author's intentions were too clear for my taste. I couldn't build a connection to any of the characters and I skimmed the last 100 pages or so because it was very boring. Maybe I would recommend it for a younger age.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book, but I hated the way it was ended. It just pickes up and "Goes back to the beginning".

[Miz Lizzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Cal Lavender's mother has an "episode" in the public library that leads to Cal being put into a group foster home. She has a hard time accepting that she has anything in common with the other girls in the home who all seem (to her) to have a lot more problems. The foster mother, known as the Knitting Lady, teaches the girls to support each other and recognize their individual strengths through storytelling and knitting. The story she tells is a historical one about the orphan train. You'd think a novel featuring two of my favorite things (storytelling and knitting) would be a five-star for sure. Sadly, the book was too didactic for my taste. It was just too obvious what the author was trying to do and I didn't emotionally connect with any of the characters.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far this book tells the story of a girl who after her mother had yet another fit in public is whistked away to a home full of girls and one old women called the Kinting Lady... and right now there is no plot... T.T

Okay, so im finally done with it, and i have to say its an okay summer read once you have read EVERYTHING ELSE AND THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO READ... lol, but if u ppl like stuffs like this then go for it, not holding you back at all. =)

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cal is taken away from her (bipolar?) Mom after an incident at the library. She is put in a group home with other girls, knowing she was sure to be back with Betty, her Mom, soon. Slowly, she learns about herself, her housemates and the social work system. A bit sad, but just right for the age group.

Family booklist.

[Debrarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cal Lavender’s mother had an episode in a library and now she finds herself in a group foster Home – a temporary interruption in what she calls life. Mainly features the allegorical tale told by the Home’s old, stuttering, wise patrona, the Knitting Lady, about her own mother’s journey on an orphan train. Rather clunky.

[Katsumi · Rating 2 out of 5]

"What I Call Life" is about a growing youngster; her experiences and relationships with others in a foster home, even though she still has a mother. The characters - all girls - have hopes and dreams and plans for making the future a better place.

I recommend it highly, especially for girls around 10 to 14.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book filled with quirky characters! The residents of a group foster home -- 5 11 year old girls -- are drawn together by the strands of the story spun out by the Knitting Lady. A lovely tale of finding family in surprising places!

[Emma the Dork · Rating 5 out of 5]

soooo sad omg......but amazing.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable teen read. It took me about two nights to read it, but I didn't want to stop.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!!! It was sssoooo good! It's mow ome of my fav books. I read it!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a real delightful suprise.

[Becca]

The book What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson is about a girl who gets put into the foster care system. She doesn’t believe all of the things happening to her are really happening and that they will all go away. This relates to the title because she’s determining what she thinks is and isn’t happening in her life. I chose this book because I wanted to see how life works for people in the foster care system.

Cal Lavender is living a normal life at home until her mother gets taken from her. Suddenly, everything normal about her life is strange. She gets taken to a foster home and hates it. She’s placed with younger girls and an elder foster mom called the Knitting Lady. The Knitting Lady is a great story-teller and tries to bond with the girls.

This book was written for people to understand how hard it is for people in foster care. It was written to draw people in and comprehend how foster care works. It was written from the point of view that when Cal is feeling emotions, it lets you know. My favorite part of the book was when Cal got a deeper relationship with the other girls in the foster care home. I liked seeing this because throughout the book, I was hoping things would work out for Cal. Her getting closer to the girls makes me think that she’s connecting and starting to understand what is happening to her. I haven’t read many books. Therefore, I am not able to compare this book to any others.

One of my favorite parts of the book is when the Knitting Lady first meets Cal Lavender. I liked this part because she can already connect to her. She even points out how much Cal would like to knit based on her personality and hands. Another part of the book I really enjoyed was when the “manager” came in and one of the girls was trying to hide her documents from the lady. I liked this part because it kept me on my feet and I wanted to know what would happen. I liked the parts of the book when the Knitting Lady tells stories. Her stories draw you in and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen. The other girls in the foster care home really like her stories as well. I like how Cal seems to be a big sister throughout the book. She cares about the other girls and tries to make them feel comfortable. She teaches them responsibility as well. I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn’t understand what it’s like to be put into foster care. I think it’s important for people to really grasp what happens and how hard it is on adolescents. Anyone who doesn’t have prior knowledge about foster care systems will definitely finish this book with a greater understanding.

[★Ashli★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is quite an interesting story. It seems light on the front, despite the general topic and the reasons why these girls are in a group home, but I feel there's this underlying message and lesson to be taken away from this story. I had to think on this a bit, to be able to even formulate an idea about the book. Unfortunately, I feel it may be quite unrealistic in the portrayal of 11 year old girl behavior, especially when most of them have been in foster care their entire lives. Even for settled children, I find it hard for a child of this age to be so content to sit and knit, or listen to told stories, and be so entranced by the Knitting Lady. Pushing that aside, I did enjoy the connections and relationships these girls had with each other, and with the Knitting Lady. I really loved how the Knitting Lady used her own strengths and gifts to connect with the girls. There are so many dynamics in this book, for being so short, and for having one main idea on the front....lots of layers. As I'm talking about it, I'm finding I like it even more than I thought.

[Ciera Estrella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review of What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson
Jill Wolfson lightly approaches the topic of finding yourself with this teenage fiction, What I Call Life. Cal Lavender has been taking care of her mom for all her life and has learned to keep calm when things go bad. Everything seems completely normal until Cal’s mom has one of her “episodes” and gets arrested and Cal gets put in a group home with 4 other girls. Cal’s convinced her mom will come back for her soon, so she tries desperately to get out of that place and back to her mom. But, as it turns out, maybe that place isn’t as bad as it seems.

I would recommend this book to teenagers who need to open their eyes to something different. It reminds us that life isn’t always what it seems and that it can be fun to try something new. As Cal Lavender would say, “that’s what kids like us call life.”

[Sofia R · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Call Life by Jill Wolfson was a book that really took you on an adventure. Cal Lavender, the main protagonist is a eleven year old girl that really learns a lot about how life is and that not everything goes the way you want. Cal meets new friends and really connects with them. She is told stories that connect with her, like how this book can connect with people. This story really intrigued me and I would definitely recommend it to people. You will go through tons of emotions reading this book. The ups, the downs, all of it is worth reading.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I underestimated this book. Despite the fact that I found two of the characters to be incredibly annoying (one pushy and loud, the other whiny to the extreme), it was a good book about four girls in a group home for varying reasons. There's a story inside the story that was even better--so that's a bonus.

[Jameyanne Fuller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really sweet book and I did enjoy reading it, however I found it a bit slow, with very little actual plot. It was also very predictable and kind of preachy. And the ending was way too neat for the situation it was depicting. It wasn’t bad, but it was far from an excellent read.

[Jenna Melberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book for so very many reasons! There are so few books that deal with parents with mental illness. And despite the fact that I rarely remember the title, I know that I will never forget the characters.

[Anna Fopma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked how descriptive this book was. It spoke of different lifestyles that young children go through and ways that they cope with it. This book has a way of sneaking lessons into stories.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

[Gage Range · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was interesting and has great story telling that sucks you into reading it more. What I Call Life was not really my style but otherwise it was a good story to read.

[Deedee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars...

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A witty, entertaining and yet heartwarming YA book

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book about life in a group home for young girls whose parents are MIA. I don't know how true to life it is, but I really enjoyed it and gave it to my own 11-year-old to read.

[Cathleen Ash]

Have you ever been embarassed by your parents? I don't mean - "aw, gee, don't do that" but a full-on, high scale, "I want to die and fall off the face of the earth" embarassed? Well, Cal is not embarassed by her mother, even though she's sitting in the back of a police car because of her. She and her mom were at the library when her mom had "one of her episodes." Now, Cal knew it would pass, the episodes always did, but the people at the library called the police. Now Cal's mom is on her way in one car, and Cal's locked in the back of the other car - going a different way. Cal had never been in a police car, let alone the back of one, and she figured most people would be having a conniption by now. But not Cal. Cal Lavendar never had conniptions. She didn't put up any fuss at all. Cal was worried the police officer might turn on the siren, though. That worried her. Strangers would look at the car and wonder if a killer, raper, murderer/arsonist were sitting in the back seat.
If Cal were writing a story of her life, she'd add a part that says: Cal lavendar hates it when nosy strangers think it's perfectly okay to stare at people in situations they know nothing about. Thankfully, the siren didn't happen - she was perfectly anonymous in the back of the police car. She was glad no one was looking at her there, thinking she was a cold-blooded killer/arsonist/drug dealer instead of just a girl whose mother happened to have "episodes" once in a while.
The police officer kept trying to sneak glances at Cal in the mirror and finally said "No problems back there Miss?"
Cal gave him The Face For Unbearably Unpleasant and Embarassing Situations. Cal spent many hours in front of a mirror, imagining embarassing moments even worse than this one, and making sure that whatever jumpy feeling was going on inside her, she, Cal Lavendar, would have the same fixed expression on her face.
Any other kids might have been scared, locked in the back of a cruiser, not knowing where they were going, but Cal wasn't scared. Her knees were aligned, her hands folded on her lap.
Why should she have been scared? After all, this wasn't her story, it was just a short temporary detour from what she called life. What I call life, by Jill Wolfson.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cal Lavendar’s mother, Betty, isn’t like other people’s moms – she has episodes where she acts crazy. And after one of these times, she’s taken away and Cal is sent to live in a group home. The other girls she meets there all have their own ways of dealing with the upheaval and unpleasantness in their lives. Cal clings to the hope that Betty will come and get her, and won't accept the home as a permanent solution. Whitney wants more than anything to have a sibling – so much so that she invents a fictitious sister that she wants everyone to help her find. Amber has had so many bad things happen to her that she pulls out all of her hair and rarely speaks. The person who looks after them in the home is the Knitting Lady, who, apart from knitting, tells the most wonderful stories – stories that really speak to the dark places in the hearts of these troubled girls. Every one of them finds something they can relate to, especially in the story of Brenda and Lillian. Eventually Cal’s mother does learn to control her outbursts and is able to retrieve her daughter.

This is a relatively safe introduction to the idea of group homes, foster care, child abuse, and neglect. You get an idea of what life might be like in a good place for kids with these kinds of problems, but you also get a glimpse into some of the issues that they’re dealing with. The Knitting Lady’s stories provide a safe place for all of the girls to express their own feelings about what’s happened to them and to think through their own troubles.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bibliotherapy - n. A form of psychotherapy in which selected reading materials are used to assist a person in solving personal problems or for other therapeutic purposes.

While not quite so formal an example, What I Call Life shows something like bibliotherapy in action through it's use of a story within the story. The book begins with Cal Lavender being taken to a house after her mom has had an unfortunate "episode" in the library that led to them both being taken away in police custody. Cal assumes her stay at this house, a group home, will be very temporary since there is nothing really wrong with her mom other than some oddness. She denies she belongs there alongside the other girls and refuses to let herself get comfortable. She tries to, anyway. But the home's adult supervisor, "the Knitting Lady," seems able to reach Cal through her stubbornness. She seems able to do so with all the girls, by teaching them what their knitting styles demonstrate about their inner selves and through the use of a long story about two orphans that she tells them in episodes over the course of many weeks. By the end of both the Knitting Lady's story and the book, Cal has discovered much about herself, her housemates, and the idea of family.

I think this must be a good book, but it took me forever to listen to the six CDs in tiny little spurts. I just could never get myself engaged enough to sustain lasting interest, so I'm knocking a star off my rating as a result.

[Evy · Rating 3 out of 5]

WHAT I CALL LIFE is pretty greate. I liked it, but in order to understand its concepts and love its beauty you have to follow with the book. It takes a while to follow it and really get the storyline and plot, but if you're willing for the challenge then I guarantee you will at least rate this book three stars, as I did.

I liked this book enough that I was willing to give the prequel a chance. I found the prequel more adorable and pleasant, but in order to move on to the prequel you have to read the first book. It catches your interest in a way, but it caught mine at the end of the book. So much, in fact, that I had to read it again, more carefully, and learned some more things about the characters.

Another problem with WHAT I CALL LIFE is that it is very distracting. It's not as jumpy as Junie B. Jones or Judy Moody or books based on movies, but you nearly immediately change the subject and then zip back to the previous subject. For example, if...say, Orange was talking to Pie. All of a sudden the conversation turns back to Apple talking to Pie and then Pie talking to his mother. Then a scene in the park where Pie was swinging merrily...and then back to Orange. I am an easily distracted person so I found this book even harder to follow.

Otherwise, WHAT I CALL LIFE is a pretty adequate, lovable book!

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book. I have mixed feelings about it, though. However strange that sounds, I do. It was written phenomenally from the perspective of an eleven year-old girl placed in a group home because of her mother's disability. Cal Lavender is very mature and she knows it. I like her spunk, although she's fairly conceited and occasionally speaks in the third person. It was interesting to read from that point of view, which is one of the reasons I liked it. Another is this: it shows that even though Cal didn't come from a great home, her and her mother got by, and even though she was devastated by being taken from her mother, she was okay. Her group home was a wonderful experience for her. It taught her and me some life lessons, although of course they were different. My only qualm about it is that the ending was just that. An ending. It was....not great. There was almost nothing to say that it really was the ending except that the text stopped there. It was....dissatisfying. The book was totally worth it, but I was surprised. I hope my mixed feelings about the story have been explained, and I hope that this will now be a to-read on your list.