As a child of the 80's, I remember this book being everywhere. Or at least it seemed like that. I am pretty sure any person who was ever a kid can relate to Alexander. Those of us, who were mature and grown up at 3, probably cannot relate to Alexander. I am not in the latter group. I remember days where it seemed like the universe was seriously out to get me. As a kid, minor annoyances can gain size and shape far beyond the reality. A little sleep deprivation, disruption in routine, or mysterious forces of nature beyond any parent's ken can magnify the slightest trouble into gigantic, the world is ending! significance.
And that is what happened to Alexander. He suffers vastly from first world problems. I can just hear the adults in his life telling him to not let such little things bother him. And yet, when we are little, our world is so much smaller. Things that seem little to adults are much bigger in the smaller, insular world of a child.
Life is hard.
Brother's can make life harder just by existing. sometimes.
Alexander decides to move to Australia.
I love this page--"Who needs sixteen?" There is no logic in grudges on days such as the one Alexander was having.
Philip Parker had two cupcakes in his lunch pail. But guess whose mother forgot to pack dessert?
Of course, Mom only sees the retaliation.
Having to settle for the wrong colored sneakers.
Well intentioned mishaps.
As a final insult, only his train pajamas were clean.
"My Mom says some days are like that."
" Even in Australia."
I don't think I have seen any other book so totally encapsulate the futility little kids can feel when life is going all wrong. No one understands them and they are powerless to change things for the better in the benevolent dictatorships of school and parents.
Even as adults, this book still resonates. There will always be days when everything seems to be going wrong. But some days are just like that.
There is always tomorrow.
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