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Bagdasarian, Adam. First French Kiss, and Other Traumas.


BAGDASARIAN, Adam. First French kiss, and other traumas. Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, Sunburst. 134p. c2002.0-374-42323-7 $5.95. JS

Bagdasarian, author of Forgotten Fire, introduces us to Will, a young boy growing up in California, in this autobiographical au·to·bi·og·ra·phy  
n. pl. au·to·bi·og·ra·phies
The biography of a person written by that person.



au
 collection of short stories. Readers follow Will through childhood and adolescence adolescence, time of life from onset of puberty to full adulthood. The exact period of adolescence, which varies from person to person, falls approximately between the ages 12 and 20 and encompasses both physiological and psychological changes. , a journey full of humor humor, according to ancient theory, any of four bodily fluids that determined man's health and temperament. Hippocrates postulated that an imbalance among the humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) resulted in pain and disease, and that good health was  and poignant moments. When he is very young, his family moves from Van Nuys to Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. , to a much larger house. At first, Will is excited, because he is only six and is thrilled thrill  
v. thrilled, thrill·ing, thrills

v.tr.
1. To cause to feel a sudden intense sensation; excite greatly.

2. To give great pleasure to; delight. See Synonyms at enrapture.
 at the idea of having a swimming pool and a chandelier. Then he sees how unhappy his older brother and sister are, and realizes that he too has left something behind. He and his brother Skip bond in their shared grief, even though they don't always get along. Years later, Will must cope with Skip departing de·part  
v. de·part·ed, de·part·ing, de·parts

v.intr.
1. To go away; leave.

2. To die.

3.
 for college and leaving him behind.

Will also has many romantic misadventures. While he is making out with his first girl at a party, he can't figure out how to breathe during their kisses in the closet. When going steady with someone else, he decides he just wants to be left alone. Whether writing about bullies, girls, or sports teams, Bagdasarian perfectly captures the voice of a boy growing up and learning about the world. At each stage, he leaves readers with an insight about life in general to which most readers will be able to relate. This book is recommended for teenagers in grades 7-12, and is suitable for both public and school libraries. Olivia Durant, Libn., Webster Webster, town (1990 pop. 16,196), Worcester co., S Mass., near the Conn. line; settled c.1713, set off from Dudley and Oxford and inc. 1832. The chief manufactures are footwear, fabrics, and textiles.  PL, Webster, NY

KLIATT uses the following codes to help readers determine if the material reviewed is appropriate for this needs:

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.
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Copyright 2006, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Author:Durant, Olivia
Publication:Kliatt
Article Type:Book Review
Date:Jan 1, 2006
Words:343
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