Presenting Barbara Wersba

VOYA - Dr. Ruth Cox

In this well-researched addition to Twayne's Young Adult Authors series, Poe highlights the life and writing of Barbara Wersba, the multi-talented author of one of the first realistic young adult novels, The Dream Watcher (Atheneum, 1968). Although the Twayne series is also aimed at the young adult reader, this biocritical study is more appropriate for the teacher and/or librarian in search of a literary analysis of Wersba's sixteen young adult novels. Poe visited Wersba's home in North Haven, New York, and many of the local places included in her novels. This visit, in addition to phone conversations with Wersba, ensured an in-depth biographical chapter about a woman referred to as a "loner, actress, writer, teacher, publisher, and friend." Wersba shared with Poe book reviews, photographs (many of which are included in this book), letters, and files that add depth to the analysis of Wersba's novels. The remaining seven chapters analyze the novels, two or three at a time. "Unconventional Romance, The Saga of Rita Formica" analyzes the novels in what Wersba calls her "Sag Harbor trilogy" that chronicle the love affair between sixteen-year-old Rita Formica and thirty-two-year-old Arnold Bromberg. Character analysis intertwines throughout the book, referring to characters discussed in previous chapters, clearly indicating the similarities and connections between them. Sometimes the characters even meet; Heidi in The Farewell Kid (Harper, 1990) falls in love with Harvey Beaumont, the main character in an earlier novel, The Carnival in My Mind (Harper, 1982). Poe states: "Critical acclaim for both the literary style and content of Wersba's newest novel [Whistle Me Home (Henry Holt, 1997/VOYA April 1997)] indicates that she remains an effective writer for young adults, handling problem novels topics in an engaging manner without being didactic. In other words, she still has it after all these years." Yes, she certainly does, and Poe's analysis clearly chronicles Wersba's growth as an author who deftly describes the lives of troubled teens. Index. Photos. Biblio. Source Notes. Chronology. Appendix.

School Library Journal

Gr 10 Up-A detailed study of the life and work of this popular author. The opening chapter is a biographical sketch of the writer, with emphasis on how the events and challenges in her life are reflected in her fiction. The rest of the book is an in-depth examination of 16 of Wersba's novels written from the late 1960s to the present. The books are analyzed using a thematic approach. For example, Run Softly, Go Fast (1970) and The Dream Watcher (1968, both Atheneum), are critiqued in relation to an adolescent's discovery of his/her identity. Other themes that are explored are unconventional friendships or romance (often with a pronounced age difference), conflict with parents, and sexual orientation. While thorough, this scholarly analysis is too sophisticated to be of interest to most teen readers, save for a few who may be researching the author or her novels. This title will be of most use in professional collections, particularly those serving young-adult literature classes.-

Booknews

For aficionados of the new realism in young adult literature, Poe (English, Radford U.) showcases one of its early and continuing stars. Wersba's biography and analysis of her themes in such classics as The Dream Catcher (1968) are interwoven. Rounding out the critical portrait is a chronology and awards list for this writer, actress, teacher, publisher, loner, and friend of adolescents trying to find and accept themselves. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.