Ivy Miller (KLIATT Review, July 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 4))
Contrary to the title, Robert Newton Peck is no ordinary man. His autobiography provides fascinating glimpses into the life of an excellent author of YA books (A Day No Pigs Would Die, for example). Weeds in Bloom gives insight into why Peck�s fiction rings so true; as he often states, �research is outdoor work.� The book is divided into three distinct sections: �Vermont Boyhood,� �Early Manhood,� and �Florida Years.� Peck uses individual stories to describe his humble childhood in New England, with tender detail and clear respect for the adults who influenced him. As Peck matures the book centers more around him as a main figure. With some graphic elements, Peck describes being a soldier during WW II, a sawmill worker in Vermont, and a football player/college student in Florida. Peck becomes most down-to-earth in the final section of the book, where the reader gets a real sense of his writing process and firsthand knowledge of his research technique. The people Peck describes in this section can easily be characters in future or past novels. Peck ends his autobiography with some sage words of advice; for example: �How do you determine if a dog is male or female? Easy. When it drinks from the toilet and leaves the seat up, it�s a male.� Some b/w photographs are interspersed throughout, adding visual evidence to the wonderful descriptions in the stories. The book is a quick read and reluctant YA readers will enjoy this thin autobiography. Highly recommended as a part of any YA biography collection. Category: Biography, Narrative. KLIATT Codes: JS--Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Random House, Laurel Leaf, 209p. illus., $6.50. Ages 12 to 18.