Did you ever read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day? Well he's all grown up with children of his own and they end up staying with his parents while his house is being renovated. It's full of Judith Viorst's wonderful humor but it also takes a serious look at the challenges and rewards of sharing your house with your adult children and their offspring. I'd recommend it to anyone who read the first book but especially to people who read the first book to their children.
Viorst�s classic children�s book, Alexander and the Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972) was inspired by her youngest son. In this affectionate, laugh-out-loud memoir, illustrated with spot art of sippy cups and toys,Viorst anticipates some no-good days of her own when she and her husband agree to house the now-37-year-old Alexander, his wife, and his three young children for 90 days while the Alexander Five�s house is renovated. With her typical warmth, self-deprecating insight, and sharp humor, Viorst describes the experience, beginning with her initial reservations: I felt delighted to see them . . . but I also felt, a bit, as if they were General Sherman�s troops marching through my Civil War Atlanta. Viorst and her husband gamely embrace the chaos of three small children�The spillage, both liquid and solid, is often torrential. The din and the demands go on nonstop�and muse about parenting styles and the rigors of balancing marriage, kids, and career. Grandparents and empty nesters in particular will relish these messy, heartaching views of a loving family�s rare, intergenerational closeness. Copyright 2007 Booklist Reviews
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