At first it was difficult for me to relate to the child's bad grammar and sophisticated expressiveness, but when I met his cool mom it made more sense. This is clearly a product of the '70s, esp. NYC and divorced/ remarried families - the themes feel kinda stale. But the characters and the setting have such charm I would like another book about them, a chance to really get to know them, rather than just feeling like we've been introduced before the book is over. ( )