Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle and Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me

Tamara is having a rough summer. Her unaffectionate parents are at odds with her older brother and the house is full of tension. Worst of all, her best friend Kebsie recently left her foster home on Ramble Street without a word to live with her mother. Then Muscle Man McGinty arrives and begins telling outrageous lies - He's training for the 1972 Olympics, he has sung on Broadway, and the famous astronaut Neil Armstrong (who is about to take mankind's first steps on the moon) is really his uncle. Worst of all, no one but Tamara seems to be able to see through the lies. She dreams of the day that she can finally reveal Muscle Man for the two-faced fraud he is. Finally, opportunity knocks when Muscle Man challenges the entire street to a game of kickball. Tamara sees her opportunity - here's no way he can weasel out of this one!

Set in 1969, this brilliant book by debut author Nan Marino take nostalgic look at friendship during this year of change. Readers interested in the book's historical aspects will get to see the historical moon landing in action, as well as a glimpse of the Vietnam War on the home front. But most of all, this is a stunning portrait of grief. Tamara is a girl who is clearly hurting because of her family's gruffness and Kesbie's sudden disappearance, and Douglas McGinty (Muscle Man) is clearly a good target for all of her frustrations. Muscle Man has grief of his own, but Tamara fails to see anyone's problems but her own, making her a brilliantly flawed antagonistic protagonist.

A certain book that you may recall me reviewing awhile back (When You Reach Me) has been getting a lot of Newbery talk this year. Everyone I know who has read this book has loved it. If you enjoyed When You Reach Me, then you will likely also enjoy Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle. Heck, I come out and say that I think it's got its own reasonable shot at some Newbery recognition, and for many of the same reasons. They feature similar styles of writing - straightforward, efficient, and elegant without any wasted words. Both have an interesting historical setting, and both give us examples of the surprisingly complicated world of childhood friendships. I'd definitely recommend reading both books, but I have to honestly say that I have a bit of a personal preference for Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle. Where When You Reach Me is very complex in plot, Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle has a more straightforward plot that is instead complex in emotion. Besides, there's just something incredibly endearing about waiting to see a kid get his comeuppance during a game of kickball - and not being sure which kid you're hoping will get it.

Overall Grade: A+