Never Good Enough

It is so telling that in behaving like a normal child for once, Marc sees himself as a failure. Chiding himself for his one fumble, it seems, this book was named. One-Legged Mongoose is the chronicle of a slice of the life of Marc Strauss, child prodigy. From ages 10-12 we are flies on the walls of his life, marveling at his hutzpah, ingenuity, and street-smarts. Tasked with watching out for his often-picked-on little brother, he has to hone those skills early in life, as this was the 1950s and there was no anti-bullying campaign enlightening the neanderthals of the world. Navigating a post-war society still glaringly anti-Semitic, Marc has his own challenges. Plus, there's a secret enemy who is not in the streets, and much more covert. This page-turner tells the story of an amazing kid who had to grow up way too fast. It runs the gamut from funny to tragic, and is definitely more than good enough.