LS 5623 Advanced Literature for Young Adults

Crutcher, Chris. 2003. King of the Mild Frontier: an Ill-Advised Autobiography. HarperTempest: New York.
ISBN: 0060502517

In this meandering biography, Crutcher lays bare stories from his childhood. He grew up in a small town in Idaho, where it was impossible not to be noticed. He tells of being a mediocre athlete in a place where everyone was expected to participate in all sports. In between laughs, we learn of his inability to control himself when he is angry, and his theory behind why that is so. We learn of his experience with religion and God, his family, and of revelations he's had about his childhood now that he's grown and studied psychology, and his realization of what truly makes someone a hero.

Having never read a novel of Chris Crutcher's this reviewer is at a disadvantage to point out what childhood stories Crutcher drew upon for his novels or how much of himself is inserted into each of his stories. Judging from this biography, I'm certain that many of his characters share his acerbic wit and short temperament. That said, the stories of childhood that King of the Mild Frontier is filled with are both funny and insightful to the experiences, good and bad, that have formed this person Chris Crutcher.

The timeline of the story changes from chapter to chapter, placing the reader when Crutcher was 6 at one moment and in high school the next. I will not call this a disadvantage of the book because I'm sure some readers will enjoy the plotting, but I will say that at times it took me a moment to catch up to what was going on.

Teens will read this book because it is easy to identify with the trials of high school, athletics, girls, and family (especially older siblings). Each humiliating event after the other, from getting shot in the head with a BB gun to getting his teeth busted by a baseball bat will make teens cringe and laugh. They will keep reading because Crutcher's style makes each story hilarious. And when they finish they will have gleaned the wisdom that a hero is not simply some great athlete, but everyday people who manage to overcome a real problem and spend every day using all their strength to keep overcoming those obstacles. For a genre that is hard to persuade most teens to read, this book gives teachers and librarians something to work with. Recommended for readers in high school.




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