Alexander and the wonderful, marvelous, excellent, terrific ninety days : an almost completely honest account of what happened to our family when our youngest son, his wife, their baby, their toddler, and their five-year-old came to live with us for three months

Cover image for Alexander and the wonderful, marvelous, excellent, terrific ninety days : an almost completely honest account of what happened to our family when our youngest son, his wife, their baby, their toddler, and their five-year-old came to live with us for three months

Alexander and the wonderful, marvelous, excellent, terrific ninety days : an almost completely honest account of what happened to our family when our youngest son, his wife, their baby, their toddler, and their five-year-old came to live with us for three months

Format:

Book

Title:

Author:

Viorst, Judith.

ISBN:

9781416550051

Edition:

1st Free Press hardcover ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Free Press, 2007.

Physical Description:

113 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm

Contents:

They're here! -- Feeding frenzy -- The resident grandchildren -- The resident grown-ups -- Where have all the playpens gone? -- Other voices, other rooms -- They've left!

Summary:

A whimsical account of the multi-generational frenzy that ensued when the author's son's family temporarily moved into her home describes how her compulsively ordered environment was thrown into turmoil.

Subject(s):

Families -- Humor.

Family life -- Humor.

Genre:

Humor.

Electronic Access:

Sample text http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0742/2007016006-s.html
Table of contents http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0716/2007016006.html
Contributor biographical information http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy1002/2007016006-b.html
Publisher description http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0740/2007016006-d.html
Table of contents only http://www.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0716/2007016006.html
Publisher description http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0740/2007016006-d.html
Sample text http://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0742/2007016006-s.html

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Monmouth Public Library	306.87 VIORST 2007	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Dallas Public Library	306.87 V77	Searching... Unknown
Searching... McMinnville Public Library	306.87 Viorst	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

Whatever became of Alexander after that famously bad day? And did you know that Judith Viorst is his mother? And what happens to her passion for household neatness and orderliness, her deep devotion to schedules, her compulsive yearning to offer helpful advice when Alexander -- now grown up, married, and the father of three -- moves his family into his parents' house? What happens is controlled, and sometimes not so controlled, chaos, as lives and routines are turned upside down and the house is overrun with scattered toys, pacifiers, baby bottles, sippy cups, pink-sequined flip-flops, jigsaw puzzles, and fishy crackers.With her characteristic sparkle and wit, Viorst relates her efforts to (graciously) share space, to become (if only a little bit) more flexible, to (sort of) keep her opinions to herself, and even to eventually figure out how to unlock the safety locks of the baby's (expletives deleted) bouncy seat. She describes how she and her husband, while sometimes longing for the former peace and tranquillity of unravished rooms and quiet dinners for two unaccompanied by cries of "Oh, yuck!" survived and relished the extended visit of the Alexander Five. She also opens our eyes to the joys of multigenerational family living and to the unexpected opportunities to grow that life presents -- even under the most unlikely circumstances.Several generations of readers surely will relate to this funny and loving book, enhanced throughout by Laura Gibson's delightful two-color drawings.

Author Notes

Judith Viorst was born in Newark, New Jersey on February 2, 1931. She graduated from Rutgers University (1952) and the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute (1981).

She has written extensively, her works include children's books, collections of poetry, lyrics to musicals, several works of fiction, and a cookbook. She has won a Silver Pencil award (for The Tenth Good Thing About Barney) and an Emmy (for poems used in an Anne Bancroft TV special).

(Bowker Author Biography) Judith Viorst is the bestselling author of "Forever Fifty," "How Did I Get to Be Forty," "Necessary Losses," & several other works. She is also the author of the classic children's book "Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." A graduate of the Washington Psychoanalytic Institute, she is the recipient of various awards for her journalism & psychological writings. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband, political writer Milton Viorst. They have three sons.

(Publisher Provided)

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

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.--Engberg, Gillian Copyright 2007 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Readers will fondly remember the childhood escapades of Alexander as told by Viorst in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, and now they can have a glimpse of his grown-up life. Viorst shares the experiences of temporarily sharing her home with her grown son (the Alexander of her book's title), daughter-in-law, and three of her grandchildren. Starting with the decision to shelter the "Alexander Five," Viorst makes little goals for herself and house rules for everyone. What follows is a light, humorous, and loving depiction of intergenerational living-stories of chaotic meals, rambunctious children, and ever-increasing clutter but most of all of adoration for her son and his family. Viorst adds quick reflections on her personal growth, her life, and her marriage, but for the most part the stories are delightful enough to stand alone. A chapter of Viorst's opinions on child rearing and another about other women in similar living situations add some breadth, but this material almost seems unnecessary in this light and brief work. Instead, readers will simply be entertained by sharing in the family's antics and by Laura Gibson's accompanying line drawings. Suitable for public libraries.-Erica L. Foley, Flint P.L., MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Chapter 1 They're Here!

Chapter 2 Feeding Frenzy

Chapter 3 The Resident Grandchildren

Chapter 4 The Resident Grown-Ups

Chapter 5 Where Have All the Playpens Gone?

Chapter 6 Other Voices, Other Rooms

Chapter 7 They've Left!

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Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews (2)

Booklist Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents