The story opens up with Dirk as a child playing with his toys, and telling his grandmother Fifi, that all the men were taking showers. And that’s when he knew that he liked boys romantically, much to his grandmothers’ worries. Then it moves on to tell how Dirk is a big fan of James Dean, likes working-out, getting A’s in school, and keeping to himself in case someone got suspicious about his sexuality. The story speaks of Dirk’s home life with Fifi, and her cottage house with a chocolate frosting roof with gnome statues and flowers, along with his pets Kit—the healing cat and Kaboodle—the winking dog. But everything changes when he come across Pup Lambert.On his way home from school Dirk comes across a boy in a tree by the name of Pup, who has red hair and freckles. The two became inseparably ever since, hanging out day after day skate-boarding or on somebody else lawn who they don’t know. Then one day out-of-the-bloom after surfing, Pup suggest that they hitch-hike their way back home, they are then picked up by Nancy and Tracey—who happens to go to their school. Everything changes when the duos get invited back to Tracey place to go in the Jacuzzi, leaving Dirk feeling anguished when he sees Pup kissing Tracey. Feeling like he has to come clean, Dirk thinks its only right if he told Pup how he felt, but soon becomes regretful after Pup leaves without even a “goodbye”.Now that Pup ended their friendship, Dirk is left as a loner who takes on a new identity of transforming himself into a black mohawk-haired punk. Going out to night clubs in his red and white 1955 convertible, even bring Kaboodle to tag along for the ride sometimes. During these events he encounters a number a people ranging from crazy nutcases to the homeless, but one night out bad after he gets jumped by a group neo-nazi skinheads after calling one of them “fucking fascist skinhead shit” leaving him for dead. Luckily, he makes it back home safe after the beating, making his way to his room and falling into a dream-like state after he takes the lamp Fifi gave him the moment he received his car.When he wakes up, Dirk sees a young woman in his bedroom whose name is Gazelle. She tells him that her childhood wasn’t so grand, especially falling under the ill-treatment of her aunt who made her sew under the harshest conditions. One day a man comes to the door and asks Gazelle to make a dress. After Gazelle makes it, the mysterious man tells her that the dress was for her, and gives her a lamp were she could tell her stories into it. She later finds out that she’s pregnant, with Fifi, and right before her due date is up her aunt dies. Right before she disappears she says “any love that is love is right.” The next one to appear is Derby McDonald, Dirks father who died in a car crash when he was little, who tells him how he enjoyed his life as a poet and with his mother Just Silver—I know, that’s a unique name. The only words I can describe Francesca Blocks writing is uniquely-eccentric; she uses metaphorical and simplified words that can be easily conveyed to the reader. But their were times when the dialogue got lost, and your not sure which character is saying what, and the quotation marks weren’t put in place all the time. The last portion of the page confused me when it got to Durks’ part of the story, because I didn’t know how it fit in to the plot at all, and Francesca writing can be confusing at times. But the moral is when you tell your story, you learn to appreciate life more by getting you voice out and being yourself.
Francesca Lia Block is one of my favorite writers of all time--not just as a young adult or children's author but of all genres. She write in a style that is thickly descriptive, flavored for all of the sense and filled with a sense of innocence with darkness of reality twisted in.It was actually with Block how I figured out why I liked the young adult genre so much--when it comes to most "adult" novels--outside the genres of romance or horror or mystery--there is a world weariness that usually drapes over the characters. The idea of hope and the art of questioning has usually left the story whereas even with the darkest young adult novel there is a sense of hope or idea of time to come and change things. That's something I definitely lock into.That said--Baby Be-Bop is the 5th book in the Weetzie Bat series but could simply stand on it's own two feet as a single novel. It tells the story Dirk McDonald growing up in a timeless--though 80s in the series timeline--Los Angeles and figuring out who he is, what he wants and how it fits into the history of his family. There are touches of magic and the punk rock scene, dark thoughts and history played off the magic of first love and desire and something very adult in how this is all pursued. It is the type of book I wish I could write because it blends so much in with such little effort. It seems like a simple story with a simple goal but it is more about the world and becoming an adult than one would imagine.
What do You think about Baby Be-Bop (1997)?
Age: 6th grade to 10th gradeA short read, Dirk is uncertain to whom to reveal his true sexuality so he masks his homosexuality in a new punk wardrobe. Towards the end of his despondent silence, he is put in a coma after being beat up by hate-filled bigots. Although the reader doesn't know he is in a coma, we suspect he is in an in-between world where he is visited by dead family members and people that will become important in his life. Dirk comes to accept his full identity after he hears the complex, multidimensional, and striving stories of his family.
—Kelsey
WHat a fantastic book!!And guess what?!!! This is NOT the last Weetzie Bat book like I thought. THere's a 6th one out there and a Pre-quel in the works. (I saw it is supposed to be released next August)Baby Be-Bop is Dirk's story. We met Dirk in the 1st book. I originally thought that Dirk was going to be Weetzie's love interest. I think Weetzie thought that too. But no.. Dirk was meant for Duck :)This was a very unique story. It was very very Francesca Lia Block!! I've read a few of her books and it seems like every chapter is a different story and they all mesh and mold in the end to become one. THe Weetzie books have been a tad different. They were all pretty much about the main character.In Baby Be-Bop we not only hear about Dirk's childhood, but we also hear about his mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa. We even catch a glimpse of Duck. Oh... and what about that lamp we heard about in the first book? Yup! We get its story too.I adored this book and am now totally stoked that I have not read them all and that there are more (at least one lolz) in the works.The one line that stuck with me in this story was about Dirk's Dad -DIRBY- he said:"I wrote poetry from the time I could write. That was the only way I could begin to express who I was but the poems didn't make sense to my teachers. They didn't rhyme. They were about the wind sounds, the planets' motions, never about who I was or how I felt. I didn't think I felt anything. I was this mind more than a body or a heart. My mind photographing the stars, hearing the wind." — Francesca Lia Block It made me think back to my days in high school. I never followed the rules either.Here's the front of my reason: http://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/3...And here's the back: http://photo.goodreads.com/photos/128...LMAO!! It says:Excellent Design So dramatic - This bothers me Is it supposed to? *It just made me giggle and think of that story.Hope you guys check out these books! They tuely are fab ;)
—Greta is Erikasbuddy
Baby Be-Bop is the story of Dirk McDonald, a young man in L.A. who has always known that he was gay but has to hide that part of himself. Having been orphaned at a young age, he lives with his grandmother Fifi but fears that she will judge him for loving boys if he ever revealed his secret. Dirk arms himself by adopting the punk culture. When he shaves his hair into a blue mohawk, dons the leather jacket and hits the clubs, he looks too tough to mess with, even if someone did guess his secret. But even the punk culture isn't safe and a run-in with some Aryan boys with swastikas lands Dirk in trouble he doesn't know how to deal with. Tied in with all this harsh reality is some of the best magic realism I've ever read. Block breathes magic into everything, whether it's descriptions of Dirk's grandmothers garden, her pets Kit and Kaboodle or even in its most obvious sense, with the family heirloom, a lamp with its very own genie. Whether the reader chooses to believe them hallucinations or an actual magical journey, Dirk comes to reexamine himself and his world through the stories of his family. Dirk's voice feels so raw and real that I couldn't help but enjoy seeing the way he viewed the world and I loved the ending. It's a story of hope and acceptance and magic throughout. I very much enjoyed it and I think that fans of young adult lit who are more interested in urban culture in L.A. will love it!
—Caitlin
