Weetzie Bat by Francesca BlockBlock, Francesca. 1989. Weetzie Bat. New York: Harper & Row. 0060205369. $19.95. Trade Cloth.
Annotation:
In a modern fairy tale, a girl named Weetzie Bat makes three wishes on a genie and finds true love and happiness in the magical land of Los Angeles.
Awards:
One of YALSA’s 100 Best Books
Parent’s Choice Award, 1989
Phoenix Award from the Children’s Literature Association, 2009
When I read the summary of Weetzie Bat by Francesca La Block in my library’s catalog, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it because it sounded like a silly, frivolous story. I really did like it though. It is a book that contains serious issues, it’s just told in a simple, fun and quirky way. The language in Weetzie Bat almost reminds me of a children’s book with its short, straightforward sentences and juvenile-sounding descriptions. Like: “Grandma Fifi was a sweet, powdery old lady who baked tiny, white, sugar coated pastries for them, played them tunes on a music box with a little dancing monkey on top, had two canaries she sang to, and had hair Weetzie envied…” The magical language adds to its sense of being a fairy tale dealing with modern issues like homosexuality, divorce, infidelity, and AIDS.
I think Weetzie’s story is appealing to me because it matches one of the fantasies I had as a young adult of having an odd, happy-go-lucky, fun seeking life. Maybe this is why it is a classic. Weetzie is cool, finds all the things to enjoy in life, and she doesn’t have serious responsibilities. She arranges to live her life in her own original way. Even when she becomes a mother, it still seems like a party, with her best friends right there raising the kids with her. She experiences problems and grief, but she has people who love her to help her get through those times.
The elements of the book that still speak to contemporary teens are creating your own life and finding happiness, despite whatever kind of unhealthy or strange upbringing your parents gave you. With the importance of peers to adolescents, the fact that Weetzie sets up her own family unit with her friends and boyfriend probably also resonates with teenagers. Teens shouldn’t read this book expecting realistic treatment of the heavy topics it glosses over. However, Weetzie Bat’s positive message, that bad (sometimes even terrible) things happen, but with love, hope and joy can get you through them and have a good life, is appealing.
Annotation:
In a modern fairy tale, a girl named Weetzie Bat makes three wishes on a genie and finds true love and happiness in the magical land of Los Angeles.
Awards:
One of YALSA’s 100 Best Books
Parent’s Choice Award, 1989
Phoenix Award from the Children’s Literature Association, 2009
When I read the summary of Weetzie Bat by Francesca La Block in my library’s catalog, I wasn’t sure I was going to like it because it sounded like a silly, frivolous story. I really did like it though. It is a book that contains serious issues, it’s just told in a simple, fun and quirky way. The language in Weetzie Bat almost reminds me of a children’s book with its short, straightforward sentences and juvenile-sounding descriptions. Like: “Grandma Fifi was a sweet, powdery old lady who baked tiny, white, sugar coated pastries for them, played them tunes on a music box with a little dancing monkey on top, had two canaries she sang to, and had hair Weetzie envied…” The magical language adds to its sense of being a fairy tale dealing with modern issues like homosexuality, divorce, infidelity, and AIDS.
I think Weetzie’s story is appealing to me because it matches one of the fantasies I had as a young adult of having an odd, happy-go-lucky, fun seeking life. Maybe this is why it is a classic. Weetzie is cool, finds all the things to enjoy in life, and she doesn’t have serious responsibilities. She arranges to live her life in her own original way. Even when she becomes a mother, it still seems like a party, with her best friends right there raising the kids with her. She experiences problems and grief, but she has people who love her to help her get through those times.
The elements of the book that still speak to contemporary teens are creating your own life and finding happiness, despite whatever kind of unhealthy or strange upbringing your parents gave you. With the importance of peers to adolescents, the fact that Weetzie sets up her own family unit with her friends and boyfriend probably also resonates with teenagers. Teens shouldn’t read this book expecting realistic treatment of the heavy topics it glosses over. However, Weetzie Bat’s positive message, that bad (sometimes even terrible) things happen, but with love, hope and joy can get you through them and have a good life, is appealing.
Image from Hapercollins Publishers.
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