Neil Armstrong Is My Uncle

By Author: ander
Total Articles: 56
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At age 10, Tamara Ann Simpson (Tammy) is lost in life when her best friend, Kesbie Grobser, moves out of her foster home on Ramble Street and back in with her mother. Kesbie didn't say goodbye or let Tammy know that she was leaving, and Tammy has no way to get in touch with Kesbie to return the half of her best friend's locket that she forgot. Quickly taking Kesbie's place at Mrs. Kutchner's house is Muscle Man McGinty, a 10-year-old who tells outrageous lies that no one seems to mind—except for Tammy, who makes it her mission during the summer of 1969 to expose Muscle Man for the liar that he is.

Every night Tammy howls at the moon from the roof of her garage as she struggles to find her own voice among the voices of those around her. Her father takes the 7:11 a.m. train every morning into the city and has little Tag Heuer Replica time for her, while her mother stays home, so engrossed in soap operas that she hardly notices Tammy and quiets her if Tammy speaks during a TV show. Her brother Tim has always been one of her closest confidants, ...
... but now he is attending college in upstate New York and has decided to take summer classes and to go to Woodstock. Tammy spends her time willing Tim to call and hoping he will come home to visit, but even when he does come home, Tim just fights with their father.

Tammy spends most of her time playing with the other children living on her street in Massapequa Park, New York, and plotting how to expose Muscle Man McGinty for his outrageous lies. Since moving to Tammy's street, Muscle Man has claimed that he is training for the Olympic swim team, that he has superior eyesight over all other human beings, and that his uncle is Neil Armstrong. These lies annoy Tammy, but when Muscle Man claims that he can play kickball alone, on his own team, against all of the other kids in the neighborhood and still win, Tammy decides that his lies simply must be exposed.

When none of the other children are willing to call out Muscle Man for his lies, or to make him admit defeat in the 34—0 kickball game, Tammy is furious. She doesn't understand why everyone, even the obnoxious goody-two-shoes, MaryBeth, who loves to point out the faults of others, is so nice to Muscle Man. As the summer goes on, Tammy learns that people don't always say what they mean.

Although Tammy is a bit of a bully, readers will both sympathize and identify with her. Readers will also come to recognize that each character is facing unique challenges, which can hamper communication. This first-person narrative weaves in the complex relationships with real-world scenarios, all of which are beautifully presented with memorable and distinct characters. The Breitling Replica Watches use of the historical events occurring in 1969, including Vietnam, Woodstock, and Apollo 11 provide a poignant background to Tammy's experience and are extremely well incorporated into the storyline. The publisher has identified this book for reader's ages 8—12; however, the book could easily appeal to a slightly older reader due to the exceptionally engaging story and the ageless appeal of the lessons Tammy learns.