Sent to me by Peggy Doubleday. An odd, charming book. I love the contrarian ending. I felt plunged into the main character's head -- a good thing. I appreciate a story where the YA character is misunderstood by adults but the narrator does not patronize him. Is YA a particularly good way to be immersed in another culture? ( )

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11 days into The Great Flour Baby Experiment, the rest of the boys in Room 8 - the classroom for under-achievers and troublemakers - are ready to drop-kick their 6-lb flour "babies" into the creek, but not Simon.

Although a bit dated now, "Flour Babies" was still a nice read. I liked how Simon developed throughout the story, becoming more caring and responsible for his flour baby as the weeks progressed, and thinking about his own life. There were some quite humorous moments in the book as well as some poignant ones. Overall, a sweet read. ( )

Oh my goodness.  I had no idea this was going to be such a treat.  I laughed out loud several times, and tears came to my eyes a few times too.  If you've ever wanted to get to know a bit more about the teen boys who seem to be, erm, underachievers, and about the teachers who try to reach out to them while trying to maintain their own sanity, read this.  One of the things I liked most about it was that the boys aren't actively abused or abusive.  Some may say this book is a bit implausibly sunny and optimistic, but I think the fact that it's not 'gritty' is a plus, and I think most gritty books are implausibly dark.  I will definitely look for more by this author, and if my library doesn't have them I will put them on my wishlist for sure. ( )