In Ned's Head

Rating:
Summary: A Breath of Fresh Air
Review: A boy's diary, what a breath of fresh air! _In Ned's Head_ hilariously takes the reader through the deeds, thoughts, and emotions of a preadolescent male. Originally a best seller in Sweden, Ned, under his code name Treb Vladinsky, offers readers the perspective of a whole child, not one totally gendered and culturally endoctrinated. Of course Ned loves girls and has macho images, but he also has fears and vulnerabilities. Ned is a boy who shares his emotions! Olsson and Jacobsson's creation of Ned combined with Read's polished translation provide readers with a wonderfully funny and insightful view of a young, preadolescent, boy's thoughts, actions, and feelings. Ned will leave you with a smile!

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Summary: Lighten up and have a good laugh!
Review: Although I agree with the reviewer who questioned the Americanization of this delightfully refreshing kids book, I'm glad that it was translated. Yeah, I winced when I read that "Canada beat us in hockey and my dad wanted to drive a tank up there", (Salt Lake City may have proved me wrong) but it didn't bother me that much. The truth is there are far too few books that provide genuine examples of humor writing for kids. "In Ned's Head" succeeds because it doesn't condescend, as many adult writers frequently tend to do. "Harris & Me" and the "Schernoff Discoveries" by Gary Paulsen are the only other "Boy" books I can think of that surpass this one on the laugh per page scale.

And for all those that suggest 10 year olds are too young for this book, you're living under a rock. God forbid a kid actually read a book where the vocabulary is similar to that which they use on a daily basis. Yeah, the book discusses French kissing, and there is a scene with a dirty magazine and the dreaded "T" word is uttered in a hilarious scene, but any kid with a friend or an older sibling has seen or heard worse. Just be glad the kid's reading and get over it!

Any adults who haven't discovered the joys of reading young adult and intermediate fiction are missing out. This book is as good as any to take the plunge with! Enjoy.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Children's Book Ever!
Review: I loved this book! I recognize myself in Ned. He is like me and my friends. Everyone should buy this book. It is GREAT!!

Rating:
Summary: GREAT BOOK
Review: its about ned and his funny stories its not appropriate for kids under 14 but its the most funny book I'v ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Parents: Know what you're getting
Review: Just a quick heads-up for grandparents and parents. I found this book funny and smart, but take some exception to the publisher's idea of what age this is best for. My copy says 8-12 on the inside. Given the references to french kissing and breasts (including the "t" word), I'd put it best at 10-14 at the youngest.

As I said, it's funny and clever. But probably not for the average 8-9-10 year old.

Rating:
Summary: Parents: Know what you're getting
Review: This book was a huge seller in Sweden, and I read it hoping to enjoy a slice of life in Sweden. No such luck. This book wasn't just translated from Swedish, it was re-written to have it take place in America! What's up with that? Ok, it's a kid's book. Do publishers think that American kids are a) only interested in things that happen in their own home country (Hey, why not publish 50 separate versions, setting the story in each of the 50 separate states?) or b) incapable of making sense of things set in another nation? Sue Townsend's ADRAIN MOLE books were not re-written to set them in the U.S., and they were a big hit. Granted, they were in English to begin with, but a simple glossary in the back told us all about such things as GYROS. IN NED'S HEAD (BERT'S DIARY in Swedish) could have kept more of its original flavor. Over-all, the story is amusing. But I every time I came across a reference to TV GUIDE or ... I was very aware that things had been changed, and I found that distracting.