I can’t say if this book would appeal to people who don’t have the extended family experience. Ingrid’s family is the same way, which is why I loved this book so much. We’re the epitome of functional dysfunction. They were my lifeline growing up, my best friends, my confidants. My cousins are more a part of me than I am. Most people look at us and think something’s wrong with us. We had movies screened for us before we were allowed to watch them – PG-13 movies, mind you – when most of us were in college. I remember being twenty years old and having one of my aunts tell me I should give up my chair so a grownup could sit down. In my family, you are a kid until you have kids of your own (or until you should have kids and are letting the family down). William, at that time, was quite the crybaby (sorry William!) and both Aaren and Joc were only interested in playing games where they got to be princesses. William, Aaren, and Jocelyn were all younger than us and we considered them the “junior” cousins, the kid table within the kid table, if you will. I was the bold one (ie I wasn’t afraid to walk across Kmart holding the bra I was going to buy). There were eleven cousins altogether (well, nine + two step-cousins), and we each had a role. I grew up visiting my mom’s side of the family a lot. The book opens with an image of a very complicated family tree, the notes on which made me laugh even more. I knew I had to read this and was so happy to come across it at BEA. If you replace the word “adult” with “grownup,” this could be my family. When I read this opener, I immediately started laughing. *The definition of kid does not have to be equal or fair cousins may be upgraded to the adult table at any time. Talking to a cousin is like talking to a priest. What happens at the kid table stays at the kid table. Know your role: If the family thinks you’re rebellious, rebel.ģ. You’re a kid until the adults say you’re not.* You can drive, but you still have to sit with a toddler.Ģ. My copy doesn’t have any cover art, but instead lists the three rules for the kid table:ġ.

The Kid Table by Andrea Seigel