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Summary: My review of what jamie saw
Review: A little third grade boy named Jamie suddenly wakes up one night to see his half-sister being propelled across the room by her father in What Jamie Saw. Immediately afterward, Jamie's mom takes them out of that environment and they eventually relocate to a trailer in the mountains. During this period, Jamie has grown into a responsible, yet very scared little man. The book's lack of illustration allows its readers to use their imagination more actively. I do not necessarily think of this book as a piece of children's literature because of its detrimental contents. Its detrimental contents include child abuse and harsh language which should not be viewed by children. Not only does this book deal with child abuse and harsh language, but it also conveys an overwhelming fear experienced by the family. Even so, this book has received a Newbery Award for children. John Newbery, who the Newbery Award was named after, often had a theme that "reading and learning are intimately connected to financial and social advancement," as Jan Susine stated in the article "American Girls Collection: Barbies with a Sense of History (pg. 130)." Another theme dealt with the innocence of youth. These themes are not quite consistent with that of What Jamie Saw. Jamie's innocence is not corrupted even though he does witness this abuse. This is because he does not truly understand it. Although, this experience that he witnesses still does affect him severely as his strong drive to learn begins to deteriorate. Furthermore, the only mention of learning or reading in this book dealt with a magic book and Jamie's interest in his school. As for social and financial advancement, the opposite actually occurred. The whole family isolated themselves from society for a bit in order to protect themselves from the abuser, Jamie's half sister's dad. Due to this, they lost touch with society and lost any economic stability. The theme of this book dealt with the changes in Jamie's (the protagonist's) life and how he matures throughout it. In Susina's article, The American Girls Collection is said to portray girls, or children in general, that are growing up at the perfect rate. Little Jamie was forced to grow up rather quickly though, in order to protect his family. If Jamie had not mature at the rate in which he did, his half-sister may not have been saved from her father, Van, and their mother may not have been as competent as she was in raising the two children on her own. Maturation is situational and through Jamie's experiences, it was suitable for him to mature quickly. I do not completely agree with Susana in that the marketing of Barbie and the American Girls' Collection allows "girls to remain girls (pg. 132)." Barbie allows children to manipulate their own ideas and produce their own scenarios. This is beneficial to children. As for the American Girls' Collection, they often contain the same detrimental themes that are represented in What Jamie Saw. One of the themes deals with discrimination and a type of abuse. This abuse was slavery. Again, this is a hard concept for children to truly understand at such a young age. So why are these pieces of literature being recognized as pieces of "children's" literature? Though receiving a Newbery Award, the theme from What Jamie Saw was not consistent with many of the other themes of the books that have also received it. Also, the theme of Jamie's maturation was much unlike the maturation rate for the girls in The American Girls Collection. These girls may have experienced harsh situations but there characters were not dynamic like the character of Jamie and they did not seem to be as directly affected. These maturation rates differed, but they also seemed suitable and appropriate for their respective environments. Because this book forces Jamie to grow up quickly, I think that reading it will also have the same affect on children. It could possibly have children fear their own domestic lives. For this reason, I do not believe that this piece of literature is appropriate for children. Children are individuals that need to mature at their own rate, not forced to view the problems within society.
Rating: 
Summary: Not What I Expected From Newbery
Review: Before I say anything about What Jamie Saw, I want to say that Newbery is spelled N.E.W.B.E.R.Y.
First off, What Jamie Saw is way to detailed for the targeted reader. But, as usual, the two medals slapped on the cover lured me into reading it. The plot is unrealistic and, frankly, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who was to begin reading chapter books.
Rating: 
Summary: A well-written book on a difficult subject
Review: Carolyn Coman has written an excellent book on a subject many people are rightly aghast at. Still children by the age of nine have seen and heard much, and most will be able to make sense of this book and its language. Like One Hundred Dresses this Newberry Honor Book will demand a degree of maturity from its young reader, and I have met many children who have the intellectual capacity to understand this book.
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Summary: Every word of this story is perfectly written.
Review: Carolyn Coman is my favorite author. I cannot find weaknesses in her work. Do read this book and all her other works. She is attuned to her readers.
Rating:
Summary: Every word of this story is perfectly written.
Review: Carolyn Coman is my favorite author. I cannot find weaknesses in her work. Do read this book and all her other works. She is attuned to her readers.
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Summary: Mother-son relationships: What Jamie Saw vs. Monkey Island
Review: Coman, Carolyn. What Jamie Saw. Arden: Front Street, 1995. Gross, Melissa. "The Giver and Shade's Children: Future Views of Child Abandonment And Murder." Children's Literature in Education 30 (1999): 103-117. The mother-son relationship in Carolyn Coman's novel, What Jamie Saw, is stronger and much more stable than Clay's relationship with his mother in Monkey Island. In What Jamie Saw, Jamie, his mother, and his baby sister, Nin, move into a trailer after Nin's father attempts to hurl Nin across the room. Jaime and his mother face many struggles, and their relationship is threatened several times by emotional outbursts resulting from anger and frustration. However, their love for each is evident, and they are able to overcome their fears together. Throughout the novel, Jaime's reaction to the tone of his mother's voice indicates that they have a loving relationship. For example, as they are leaving Nin's father's house, a frightened Jamie asks his mother if she remembered to bring his magic. She answers, "Yes," and her one word quickly stops the ferocious pounding in his heart (Coman 18). In another instance, Jaime becomes scared while he is staying with his mother's friend because he does not recognize his surroundings and feels lost. As he runs into the house, his mother reaches for him and inquires, "Oh honey, what is it?" Just the sound of her voice makes all the difference and calms him down (29). These situations illustrate the bond that Jaime and his mother share and how easily Jamie is soothed by his mother's concern. On the other hand, after Clay's mother leaves him, he no longer trusts her and cannot be completely comforted by her kind words and gestures. Jaime's mother also seems more concerned for the welfare of her children than Clay's mother. Jaime's mother left Nin's father to protect her children, while Clay's mother abandoned her son to "protect" herself. The primary reason for child abandonment is economically related. The parents are usually facing a condition of poverty, lack of food, or other kind of scarcity situation (Gross 103). This is true of the problems that Clay and his mother faced in Monkey Island. Although Clay's mother has her reasons for leaving, the sense of betrayal that Clay feels toward his mother is strong and will always burden their relationship. Jaime's mother, however, never abandons her children when life gets tough. She gets angry and takes her frustration out on Jamie at times, but she always puts her children's needs in front of her own and does everything she can to comfort them. While I was reading What Jamie Saw, the relationship between Jamie and his mother stood out because I have read many novels in which the mother-child relationship is emphasized in the plot. Monkey Island came to mind in particular because the situation of both families is somewhat similar. In both books, a single mother must support her children on a low income during a stressful time in her life. It was interesting to compare the way in which each mother handled the situation and how it affected the relationship she shared with her son.
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Summary: Mother-son relationships: What Jamie Saw vs. Monkey Island
Review: Coman, Carolyn. What Jamie Saw. Arden: Front Street, 1995. Gross, Melissa. "The Giver and Shade's Children: Future Views of Child Abandonment And Murder." Children's Literature in Education 30 (1999): 103-117. The mother-son relationship in Carolyn Coman's novel, What Jamie Saw, is stronger and much more stable than Clay's relationship with his mother in Monkey Island. In What Jamie Saw, Jamie, his mother, and his baby sister, Nin, move into a trailer after Nin's father attempts to hurl Nin across the room. Jaime and his mother face many struggles, and their relationship is threatened several times by emotional outbursts resulting from anger and frustration. However, their love for each is evident, and they are able to overcome their fears together. Throughout the novel, Jaime's reaction to the tone of his mother's voice indicates that they have a loving relationship. For example, as they are leaving Nin's father's house, a frightened Jamie asks his mother if she remembered to bring his magic. She answers, "Yes," and her one word quickly stops the ferocious pounding in his heart (Coman 18). In another instance, Jaime becomes scared while he is staying with his mother's friend because he does not recognize his surroundings and feels lost. As he runs into the house, his mother reaches for him and inquires, "Oh honey, what is it?" Just the sound of her voice makes all the difference and calms him down (29). These situations illustrate the bond that Jaime and his mother share and how easily Jamie is soothed by his mother's concern. On the other hand, after Clay's mother leaves him, he no longer trusts her and cannot be completely comforted by her kind words and gestures. Jaime's mother also seems more concerned for the welfare of her children than Clay's mother. Jaime's mother left Nin's father to protect her children, while Clay's mother abandoned her son to "protect" herself. The primary reason for child abandonment is economically related. The parents are usually facing a condition of poverty, lack of food, or other kind of scarcity situation (Gross 103). This is true of the problems that Clay and his mother faced in Monkey Island. Although Clay's mother has her reasons for leaving, the sense of betrayal that Clay feels toward his mother is strong and will always burden their relationship. Jaime's mother, however, never abandons her children when life gets tough. She gets angry and takes her frustration out on Jamie at times, but she always puts her children's needs in front of her own and does everything she can to comfort them. While I was reading What Jamie Saw, the relationship between Jamie and his mother stood out because I have read many novels in which the mother-child relationship is emphasized in the plot. Monkey Island came to mind in particular because the situation of both families is somewhat similar. In both books, a single mother must support her children on a low income during a stressful time in her life. It was interesting to compare the way in which each mother handled the situation and how it affected the relationship she shared with her son.
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Summary: Metaphor and What Jamie Saw
Review: Did Van really throw the baby across the room with Patty catching her, or is that simply a metaphor for how Patty realized she had to save Nin and Jamie and herself from the abuse? Whether miracle or metaphor, What Jamie Saw is a stark, disturbing account of one family's struggle with poverty and abuse. Why was Jamie so interested in magic? What did he hope to make appear and disappear? His desperation in remembering how to make the bunny out of the napkin is really the frustration and disempowerment he feels as an 8 year old trying to be the man of his family when he is surely too young and immature to be up to the task. The powerful climax of the novel, when Jamie hides Nin and chooses to speak to Van, shows this child's ability to confront his own demons. Then when Patty returns and tells Van to leave, we understand that the real process of healing their wounds has begun. Children who are victims of abuse do not always know they are being abused. Reading this novel, while disturbing, is critical information for children in dysfunctional families. Certainly a novel to read and discuss with children.
Rating:
Summary: What Jamie Saw
Review: I am a therapist working with families and children and this book does not help anyone to understand or cope with family problems. This mother is neglectful and problem-ridden allowing her son to miss school, spend days doing little if anything meaningful, and giving him the responsibility of babysitting alone without any back-up support or phone. Her choice of a paramour and her foul language make this more of an adult book. I can't possibly understand how this won a Newberry award. It is depressing without any redeeming educational value.
Rating: 
Summary: Not For Children
Review: I am a therapist working with families and children and this book does not help anyone to understand or cope with family problems. This mother is neglectful and problem-ridden allowing her son to miss school, spend days doing little if anything meaningful, and giving him the responsibility of babysitting alone without any back-up support or phone. Her choice of a paramour and her foul language make this more of an adult book. I can't possibly understand how this won a Newberry award. It is depressing without any redeeming educational value.
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