The Glass Cafe: Or the Stripper and the State; How My Mother Started a War with the System That Made Us Kind of Rich and a Little Bit Famous

This book was a lot of fun. The book is told in a style that implies that the main character, Tony, a middle school student. His mother is Al, an exotic dancer at the Glass Cafe. Al is trying really hard to bring Tony up alone to be a smart and interesting guy. Although Al works as an exotic dancer, she actually has degrees but only does this because it makes a lot of money. Tony gets to do some drawings of the other dancers, as figure studies. There is nothing sexual or dirty going on, but when the drawings go one exhibit, someone makes a complaint and the social working handling the problem handles it poorly and much drama ensues. The book is funny and provides a lot to think about regarding looking past the obvious such as peoples show more jobs and how they look, to see what is really there. show less

Summary: Tony's stripper mother takes on the State when they start to question how she's raising him after pictures he drew are shown at an art museum.

Evaluation: Going into this story, you think it's going to be extremely serious. Then you start to read and laugh all the way through. The story is written just like a twelve-year-old boy would write it. Through his eyes, the reader can see how absurd adults sometimes act and how a good mother will never let anyone tell her how to raise her kid. Well done.

What is a 12-year-old boy to do when his interest in art is sparked and his mother is an exotic dancer? Why, draw the female form of her fellow dancers at the Kitty Kat Club and enter his art into an art competition where an anonymous person reports the “pornography” to the authorities! Paulsen allows Tony, the story's aspiring young artist, to speak in that frantic style of a 6th grade boy only pausing to take a breath. Much in the style of Carl Hiaasen, hilarity and mistaken circumstances soon follow and pit Tony and his mother, Al, against the social service system. This easy read of only 99 pages will catch the attention of most middle school boys who wonder about women’s bodies. The title alone guarantees curiosity. Parents show more may be concerned about the content, which does include a brief description of the nature of Tony’s drawings, but overall is more a story of a family caring for each other and yearning for a more fulfilled life. The title is more evocative than the actual story. Because the author writes as a 12-year-old speaks, commas and periods are sometimes non-existent. Highly recommended for boys in grades 6-7 with parental discussion following. show less

This book was a lot of fun. The book is told in a style that implies that the main character, Tony, a middle school student. His mother is Al, an exotic dancer at the Glass Cafe. Al is trying really hard to bring Tony up alone to be a smart and interesting guy. Although Al works as an exotic dancer, she actually has degrees but only does this because it makes a lot of money. Tony gets to do some drawings of the other dancers, as figure studies. There is nothing sexual or dirty going on, but when the drawings go one exhibit, someone makes a complaint and the social working handling the problem handles it poorly and much drama ensues. The book is funny and provides a lot to think about regarding looking past the obvious such as peoples show more jobs and how they look, to see what is really there. show less

This is a YA book due to the content. It is told from the perspective of a 12-year-old boy who loves art class and draws several examples of the human body for class. He does a great job and is even entered in an art show locally! The problem? The problem you ask? His muses are the strippers at the club where his mom dances. What happens is hilarious but so realistic, showing how people overreact to certain situations. A quick but great read.

This book was a lot of fun. The book is told in a style that implies that the main character, Tony, a middle school student. His mother is Al, an exotic dancer at the Glass Cafe. Al is trying really hard to bring Tony up alone to be a smart and interesting guy. Although Al works as an exotic dancer, she actually has degrees but only does this because it makes a lot of money. Tony gets to do some drawings of the other dancers, as figure studies. There is nothing sexual or dirty going on, but when the drawings go one exhibit, someone makes a complaint and the social working handling the problem handles it poorly and much drama ensues. The book is funny and provides a lot to think about regarding looking past the obvious such as peoples show more jobs and how they look, to see what is really there. show less

Quick read and very fun! I liked the author's asides to the reader. Quite a tale!