A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip: A Memoir of Seventh Grade

Gr 7 Up—Brockmeier here candidly shares his seventh grade memories in the third person. Middle schooler Kevin Brockmeier is growing up in 1980s Little Rock, Arkansas. Friends are more important to Kevin than his family, which consists of his divorced parents and a brother, Jeff. Most of his memories involve his friends and educators from the Central Arkansas Christian Academy (CAC) that he attends. Kevin describes himself as a sensitive, scrawny guy seeking anonymity, but when he dresses as Dolly Parton for Halloween and performs "Hot for Teacher" at a school assembly, he finds himself in the CAC spotlight, and a target for jokes and ridicule. Still, Kevin's creativity and intelligence find ingenious outlets and do not go unnoticed. Kirby Heyborne effectively narrates this coming-of-age tale and executes Brockmeier's message in the circuitous routes the writing takes. This work may find a home in some young adult collections, but will be better received by an adult audience.—Mary Lee Bulat, Harwinton Public Library, CT