Why do I keep reading Pinkwater? I do love the Larry picture-books.

And I feel the brilliance of the chapter books and novels. But I don't actually *enjoy* them. I just can't dial into the quirkiness. And yet I wish I could.

In this one I really appreciated all the little lessons about art history, art appreciation, what it means to learn technique, what it means to have the soul of an artist, and what it means to be in the art business.

I do have trouble with statements like How do you feel about the idea that the whole purpose of sending you to school has been to break your spirit and make you docile?" Way to break the hearts of a lot of dedicated teachers, doing their damnedest to share the joy of learning with the kids under their wings.

And the cynicism of the MC, as he considers a career in visual art, is awfully troublesome "[I]f human beings are hopeless idiots, which appears likely... maybe art does the least harm."

Well, I suppose there are teens who would feel empathy and delight to find their concerns reflected by in a book - but I don't know anyone, teen or adult, to whom I wish to recommend this. Sorry." ( )

I don't know why I thought this was a middle grade novel. There's nothing risque in it or anything but it definitely doesn't have a middle grade feel. The ending was also a little kooky and abrupt feeling. ( )

I don't know why I thought this was a middle grade novel. There's nothing risque in it or anything but it definitely doesn't have a middle grade feel. The ending was also a little kooky and abrupt feeling. ( )

I don't know why I thought this was a middle grade novel. There's nothing risque in it or anything but it definitely doesn't have a middle grade feel. The ending was also a little kooky and abrupt feeling. ( )

I don't know why I thought this was a middle grade novel. There's nothing risque in it or anything but it definitely doesn't have a middle grade feel. The ending was also a little kooky and abrupt feeling. ( )