Amber Brown: I, Amber Brown

Title: Amber Brown; I, Amber Brown
Author: Paula Danziger
Illustrator: Tony Ross and Jacqueline Rogers
Publisher: Scholastic, 1999
Genre: Novel/ realistic Fiction
Age Range: 3-5

Summary: This book is written from the point of view of a sweet, average, 10 year old named Amber Brown. She constantly refers to herself as “I, Amber Brown” She says she does it because she’s not mom’s Amber Brown, or Dads, or Student Amber Brown. But just herself I, Amber Brown. Amber’s parents are divorced and she has just discovered that her dad was moving back in town where she and her mother live. Throughout this book Amber discusses her feeling about her mother’s attitude towards her father and how it upsets her. Once her dad comes in town she tricks her dad into getting her ears pierced, even though her mother forbidden her. This obviously causes problems between Amber’s mom and dad. Another scene that unfolds is that Amber’s dad promised her she could help pick out his apartment, but one night her father surprised her and took her to his new house. Amber was very upset and had to explain why. But towards the end everything comes together the best it can.

Response: I thought this book was very cute and very realistic. I know my parents are divorced and do all the same things Amber’s parents do. Although I was much older when it happened so I didn’t care as much, at 10 years old those are awful things to her about your dad or mom. Another issue Amber comes across is that her dad broke a very big promise to her and she goes on to explain that he had no idea why she mad. I think all children go through this at one point or time. I think that kids will really be able to relate to Amber and her books are very humorous. If I have a higher grade such as 3-5, I will definitely have Amber Brown on my shelf.

Teaching Ideas: There are a huge number of teaching ideas in this book! A couple of possibilities include discussing families and how all of them are different. Amber’s parents are divorced in this book, as will many of the parents of the students in the class room. Another issue was playing one parent against another or bending the truth, like when Amber got her earrings. But what I might do to use all the ideas is to have the student write a paragraph on each issue found in the book and think of a different way Amber could have handled it. And maybe let them write an issue that happened in their life when they could have handled it differently.