Can You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice?
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Cover Story
The cover of this issue is a design incorporating illustrations from four books illustrated by the subject of our Authorgraph, Ian Beck. The top left illustration is from Five Little Ducks (Orchard), the top right from Poppy and Pip's Picnic (to be published Autumn '97 by HarperCollins), the bottom left from The Owl and the Pussy-cat (Transworld) and the bottom right from Home Before Dark (to be published September '97 by Scholastic). Ian Beck's Picture Book (Hippo) is reviewed in this issue.
Beck talks to BfK's interviewer, Julia Eccleshare, also in this issue. His distinctive decorative style with its sensitive pen line and cross hatching has a nostalgic but sometimes also a surreal quality - he describes it as 'a look that is floating, strong and wistful all at the same time'.
Thanks to Orchard, HarperCollins, Transworld and Scholastic for their help in producing this composite cover.
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Send to friendCan You Sue Your Parents for Malpractice?
Read by Paula Danziger
Lauren certainly wishes she could, particularly when her father throws her older sister out and is continually mean. The Danziger world is one where teenagers talk through and work through their problems (a first bra, getting your ears pierced, boyfriends). While the background is school, the learning is mostly about relationships. The central issue in this novel is that Lauren begins to go out with an 8th grader, a year younger than her. Convention does not allow such things. Lauren has to decide what she wants, finally realising that 'suing my parents for malpractice is not as important as making sure that I don't do malpractice on myself.' This thoughtful, gentle wisdom is particularly cosy in this tape version read by the author herself. A touch of the Lauren Bacalls in Danziger's voice, especially when the tape dragged slightly, lulled me into the story in quite a new way.
