This is the second book in the 26 Fairmont Avenue series.
Tomie’s family is finally installed in the new home they spent the last book building. Like 26 Fairmount Avenue, Here We All Are is a series of stories from Tomie’s own childhood. They’re fairly simple stories, about decorating his house or being in the school play or surviving nap time, but I think what makes them special is the way Tomie captures what it was like for him as a child. It’s certainly not a book where adults always know best. Often, Tomie’s precociousness gets him in a bit of trouble, but it’s done in a charming way.
I would consider this book an excellent choice for young readers who are reading ahead of grade level (like my K-1 advanced readers from last month). This book is a Guided Reading N.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – Personally, there is no reason why this should bother anyone, but just in case, you should know that Tomie tried on his mother’s lipstick and pretended to be Mae West (his favorite movie star). Tomie’s mother has a baby.
Profanity – “hated,” “Gee,”
Death, Violence and Gore – None.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – None.
Frightening or Intense Things – Tomie explains that he was told a story about how a lady who was trying to light her stove with a match and burnt off her eyebrows and eyelashes. He says he thinks it was just a story to keep kids from the stove but that it worked! Tomie’s baby sibling and mother must stay at the hospital for 10 days after the birth.
