On My Shelf: Domestic Arrangements

You know that sad feeling you get when you reach the end of an amazing book? How you wish you could find another exactly like it, but somehow new to you?

A quirky thing I've done all my life is read my favorite children's and YA books over and over - for years. It's an incredible way to experience the same material at different stages of life. The practice makes it feel fresh again.

I can't begin to guess how many times I've read Domestic Arrangements, by Norma Klein, since age 14. It is QUITE scandalous from an adult perspective and by today's cultural standards. At the same time, I loved then - and I love now - the agency Klein affords her young protagonist. This girl isn't just "growing up" into adulthood. She's a fully formed human being, growing and changing as she experiences her life. Titillating scenes and plot lines aside, it was that respect for teenagers that drew me to Klein's work.