Kind of obvious, right? Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is a children's book; of course youth is a theme. But every author who writes about children also has their own point of view about what youth is really like—their own representation of a period of life that has long passed them by. For Viorst, youth seems to be self-centered, dramatic, irresponsible, and altogether lovable in all of its imperfections.
But Viorst also captures some pretty accurate aspects of a youngster's mind. The self-centered aspect isn't too far off the psychological construct of "ego-centrism": kids have trouble understanding a point of view that is not their own. And Alexander's use of Australia as an escape is pretty accurate in regards to a kid's understanding of geography: Australia = far away. So while Alexander may remind us of the difficulty of being young, he also represents an authentic childish mindset.
The best thing is, thanks to the book, you get a sneak peek at what your child may be thinking on their bad days, too.
Questions About Youth
- How old do you think Alexander is?
- Is he being particularly immature? Or just a kid?
- What are some clues in the book that Alexander is still really young at heart?
- True or false? Alexander thinks Lima beans are the best thing since sliced ice cream.
Chew on This
Alexander represents many of the qualities that children his age possess.
The no good, very bad stuff Alexander has to deal with throughout the day frustrates him and makes him act more immature than he might usually.