The 10 p.m. Question

The 10 p.m. Question. Kate De Goldi. Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2008. 245 pages. $15.99 (Hardcover). ISBN 978-0-7636-4939-5. Grades 6-8.

My Thoughts…

I haven’t yet decided if I liked The 10 p.m. Question. I guess I will just tell you my thoughts and perhaps when I am done thinking about it I will have made a conclusion. This book was well written for many reasons: De Goldi takes readers to New Zealand, or at least the town where Frankie lives. We get landmarks, buildings, nature, daily routes to places, weather, etc. I felt like I was walking to school with Gigs and Frankie every morning because she took us with them every step of the way. There weren’t any scenes that I couldn’t see in my mind because the description was there. I also think the character development is remarkable and I think readers will really get to know Frankie, Ma, Louie, Gigs, the Aunties, Sydney, etc. The variety of characters is also incredibly important, and I think that every reader will be drawn to one character or another and see a bit of themselves in them. I see one of my best friends in Frankie, for example, all the way down to the incessant worrying and hypochondria. Speaking of hypochondria and worrying…how in the world does this 12 year old kid have such a vast knowledge of so many things and a HUGE vocabulary? I mean too, how are these 12 year olds so involved in extra curricular activities? I guess the school systems in Europe are just that different and kids want to learn rather than play video games all the time. I did catch myself saying that some of Frankie’s thoughts are unlikely for someone his age, but then again, one of the points is that he has been force to grow up and deal with some dismal realities early on. Some of these realities I find may be less relatable that others, but I think their severity and the conflicts and turmoil they cause will still engage young adults. I loved the different relationships that develop in this book and think young adults will as well. I especially love how Frankie’s family works together even though there is something just a little broken about them. I had been wondering why this book was assigned to me, but I think one reason is because it offers a new twist on growing up and the coming of age story. I think the male lead as well as the mix of internal and external struggles also reflects the complicated time that is middle school. I also think it is neat that this book does take place in another country, so we get to see similarities across cultures in terms of vocabulary, habits, etc. I guess, my conclusion is that it is a good book, but it took me a while to get in to it and I never felt truly engaged. I do think the target audience will enjoy it, however, and I know I could recommend it to a variety of different audiences based on the mix of topics and themes present.