My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger, Dial Books, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3227-8

Plot Summary

Unbeknownst to them, T.C., Augie, and Alé are about to have a topsy-turvy freshman year of high school. T.C. Keller hopes to fill the year with oversized dioramas and further advocacy work on his Free Buck Weaver campaign but after he sets eyes on the beautiful Alé he has trouble thinking of little else. Augie, T.C.’s best friend, hopes freshmen year will be filled with watching old movies and musicals, something he loves beyond all measure. But when he starts spending time with Andy he’s led to question his sexual identity. As for Alé, as the new kid at school she hopes to assimilate quickly while secretly pursuing her passion, dance, (much to the disapproval of her diplomat parents). Things become further complicated when T.C. strikes up a friendship with a deaf orphan named Hucky who believes that Mary Poppins will one day come for him and make his life better. Together, T.C., Augie, and Alé must put aside their problems and figure out a way to make Hucky’s dream come true.

Critical Evaluation

Told through e-mails, diary entries, text messages, and letters, My Most Excellent Year is an engaging read and hard to put down. Kluger explores many topics throughout his novel including first love, coming out, pursuing your dreams, and teen advocacy. As a result, Kluger ensures that almost every reader that picks up his book will be able to relate to one of his characters. Kluger also does an excellent job blending serious situations with gentle humor making the novel a pleasurable read. He creates winning characters, particularly Hucky, who is so endearing that readers cannot help but love him. However, despite his creative, enjoyable plot and well-crafted characters, My Most Excellent Year may leave some readers feeling angry. While most of Kluger’s plot points are handled well, his depiction of gay teen Augie’s situation as he determines whether or not to confess his feelings to Andy is upsetting. Throughout the novel, Augie’s friends and family talk about his sexual orientation behind his back. They constantly ask each other when Augie is going to realize he’s gay. “I don’t see how he couldn’t” best friend T.C. writes, “I guess he figures that because he loves women like Audrey Hepburn and Judi Dench so much, he’s automatically going to wind up with one” (Kluger, 2008, p. 22). Augie’s dad later confesses to T.C.’s father, “Augie’s almost fifteen…but he still hasn’t told us he’s gay yet…Wei and I have been encouraging him to be himself ever since he memorized Annie Get Your Gun at the age of two…I mean, it’s not like we needed a road map” (Kluger, 2008, p. 53). T.C.’s father responds, “I mean, there must be some straight guys who know the lines from All About Eve” (Kluger, 2008, p. 54). The assumptions of Augie’s family and friends are disturbing because it’s as if they treat being gay as a joke, as if exploring your sexual identity isn’t a difficult journey. It’s also troublesome how they all assume that Augie is gay simply because he enjoys musicals and old movies.

However, despite this troubling aspect of the novel (which I believe to be unintentional by the author), My Most Excellent Year is an enjoyable read. The characters can tend to be a bit smug but overall they are well-crafted as is the plot. My Most Excellent Year also proves to be an excellent place to start for teens who want to explore advocacy issues as T.C. seeks to mend the maligned reputation of baseball player Bucky Weaver and Alé and T.C. hope to restore the original baseball diamond at the Manzanar National Historic Site.

Reader’s Annotation

This retrospective novel focuses on T.C. Keller, a boy hoping to win the fair Alé’s heart, Augie Wong, a teen dedicated to theater, and Alé, who tries to tease T.C. as much as possible. Their lives further intertwine when Augie pressures them into the school talent show and T.C. insists they help six-year-old Hucky realize his dream of meeting Mary Poppins.

About the Author

Self-described writer, uncle, and Red Sox fan, Steve Kluger also enjoys the theater. Like Augie, in My Most Excellent Year, one of his early heroes growing up was Ethel Merman. His first words were from the musical, The Pajama Game. Kluger is also an activist as he lobbied the Department of the Interior in order to restore the Manzanar baseball diamond. Interestingly, this activism is present in My Most Excellent Year. He also spends time volunteering with the Lambda Legal society, the GLSEN, and Models of Pride.

He currently has five published books to his name and even has a website for Augie Wong from My Most Excellent Year. He has nine nieces and nephews that he greatly enjoys spending time with when he is not busy writing novels, plays, and newspaper articles.

Kluger, S. (n.d.) Biography. Retrieved from http://www.stevekluger.com/BIO.html

Kluger, S. (n.d.) Enter the fabulous world of Augie Hwong. Retrieved from http://www.augiehwong.com/

Genre

Coming of Age, Humor, Epistolary, LGBTQ literature, Realistic fiction, Romance

Tags

LGBTQ literature, sign language, foster care, adoption, death of parent, dance, theater, baseball, Farewell to Manazar, Japanese internment camp, Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews

Curriculum Ties

This book directly relates to Farewell to Manzanar, Japanese internment camps, sign language, and the history of baseball. It could also relate to units on forging your own identity, the foster care system, and journal writing.

Booktalk Ideas

--Bring along a baseball, an umbrella, chalk, and a copy of All About Eve and ask the audience what these items have in common. Use this as a segue to the booktalk.

--Use sign language at key moment in the booktalk.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 6^th grade

Interest Level: 8^th-12^th grade (13-18 yrs)

Reading level was found through AR BookFinder:

AR BookFinder (2010). My most excellent year. Retrieved from http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=121405&l=EN&slid=189298097

Challenge Issues

This book may be challenged because it portrays LGBTQ characters in a positive light. If challenged, librarians should point out statistics involving how many teenagers are LGBTQ. They should also mention that this book is the recipient of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award which is only awarded to books that contain literary merit, popular appeal, and positive themes.

Why Was This Included?

I stumbled upon this book several years ago when I worked in a children’s bookshop. I thought the premise sounded intriguing but I never got around to reading it. I thought this was the perfect time to do so and I also liked that it won the first Amelia Elizabeth Walden Book Award. This award particularly appeals to me because it seeks out books that portray a positive outlook on life.