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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had a very hard time putting this book down. This is a school I would have loved to attend. Or have my children attend. The influence of Greek mythology and the cave story permeate the entire book. Wrapped around a story of what belonging means and how perspective shapes your own story, and the stories that surround you. Highly recommend.
This book was adorable! Lots of layers. A great way to tell a complex story (Greek philosophy) in a modern way. Middle grade book - not suitable for adults who take themselves too seriously.
There is so much awesome in here it cannot be contained! I already loved the story itself (that SOCCER GAME had me in stitches!), but reading the author’s note flips it all on its head. I LOVE when authors do that!
Goats, Soccer, kleos! What more could you want in a school? Oh yeah Paulie Fink! The unusual school setting is perfect place to host the next big reality show! Winner gets kleos (kleos, answer the students learn, means being remembered.) that I was this book has asked, how much do we really know about people who supposedly have kleos! This book sends positive messages about being yourself! And certainly deserves kleos!!
It took me a while to get into this book, but I am so glad I kept going. Sweet, funny, and unpredictable, I ended up loving this book and every 7th grade student at The Mitchell School.
The Next Great Paulie Fink is a confusing story. Our main character is Caitlyn, who, having moved with her mother from upstate New York to Mitchell, Vermont, is starting 7th Grade at a small rural school. The school is located in an old mansion--instead of a typical school building. All grades are housed in the same building since it's such a small town. There are only 10 other students in Caitlyn's entire 7th grade class. On the first day of school the other students discover that not only do they have a NEW student (Caitlyn), one of their classmates (Paulie Fink) has NOT returned this year. No one knows why. Her classmates regale Caitlyn with stories about Paulie and his antics in the classroom and somehow the students decide it would be a good idea to hold a reality TV-like contest to choose the "Next Great Paulie Fink." Inexplicably, they choose Caitlyn to be in charge of the competition. She proceeds to set "challenges" for the class in which they must display specific aspects of Paulie's personality, with one student being eliminated after each challenge.
Sound weird? It is. The story is confusing and so is the structure of the book. The story is told through a mishmash of voices, sometimes Caitlyn in the present, sometimes various students in the class through a supposed 'interview' Caitlyn conducted after the completion of their competition, and sometimes through emails from teachers or the Principal.
This book frustrates me for a number of reasons: (1) I almost chucked it in the Didn't Finish pile because the story is organized so poorly and I couldn't get a handle on any of the characters OR the actual plot for about the first 100 pages; (2) all the kids' voices sound very similar so it's hard to know who's talking unless you pay attention the structure of the page, or the font of the words; (3) The premise is patently ridiculous--the idea that in a town so small (852 people) that there are only 11 students in the 7th Grade (the highest grade in the school so far) the kids would NOT know that Paulie--and presumably his family--has left over the summer is laughable; and (4) Caitlyn's story has so much potential when she starts speaking a little more about her behavior in her previous middle school that it irritates me it was not fleshed out and made the focal point of the book.
We find out more about Caitlyn after slogging through the first 100 pages. We discover that when she started middle school last year she found herself in unfamiliar territory. She looked for a way to navigate the social situation that develops in that environment. She determined that the best way to do so was to belong to a group. This meant that she was consistently cruel to one specific girl (Anna) in order to ally herself with a larger group to avoid being in Anna's social position. At the Mitchell School Caitlyn begins to consider her behavior toward Anna in a different light. The reader has access to the insecurity and abject fear that often motivates the hurtful, bullying behavior of individuals.
This story is one with which many middle school readers can identify: yes, I have ugly thoughts sometimes but I can choose how I behave toward other people. Unfortunately, this story is left in bits and pieces around the ridiculous Paulie Fink contest.
Don't get me wrong, the Paulie Fink story could absolutely work on its own as a light, fun, silly story. But Caitlyn's story and the Paulie Fink story just don't go together. The author never succeeds in weaving all the disparate elements of the book into any kind of cohesive narrative. Sadly, The Next Great Paulie Fink is a confusing--and consequently irritating--jumble of ideas and images that never really organize themselves into the kind of story I expect from Ali Benjamin. I will not be recommending this one to readers of any age.
Sound weird? It is. The story is confusing and so is the structure of the book. The story is told through a mishmash of voices, sometimes Caitlyn in the present, sometimes various students in the class through a supposed 'interview' Caitlyn conducted after the completion of their competition, and sometimes through emails from teachers or the Principal.
This book frustrates me for a number of reasons: (1) I almost chucked it in the Didn't Finish pile because the story is organized so poorly and I couldn't get a handle on any of the characters OR the actual plot for about the first 100 pages; (2) all the kids' voices sound very similar so it's hard to know who's talking unless you pay attention the structure of the page, or the font of the words; (3) The premise is patently ridiculous--the idea that in a town so small (852 people) that there are only 11 students in the 7th Grade (the highest grade in the school so far) the kids would NOT know that Paulie--and presumably his family--has left over the summer is laughable; and (4) Caitlyn's story has so much potential when she starts speaking a little more about her behavior in her previous middle school that it irritates me it was not fleshed out and made the focal point of the book.
We find out more about Caitlyn after slogging through the first 100 pages. We discover that when she started middle school last year she found herself in unfamiliar territory. She looked for a way to navigate the social situation that develops in that environment. She determined that the best way to do so was to belong to a group. This meant that she was consistently cruel to one specific girl (Anna) in order to ally herself with a larger group to avoid being in Anna's social position. At the Mitchell School Caitlyn begins to consider her behavior toward Anna in a different light. The reader has access to the insecurity and abject fear that often motivates the hurtful, bullying behavior of individuals.
I watched the way she turned her locker dial slowly, hoping no one would notice that she didn't have anyone to talk to. Everything she did wrong reassured me. I mean, maybe I didn't know how to be...but at least I knew more than Anna did.
I guess I wanted her to know that, too. Because I started doing things. Maybe I'd get my friends to stare at her. ...We'd keep our eyes on her until she looked up. Then we'd laugh. Not because she was doing anything funny, but because we wanted her to know she was someone people laughed at.
This story is one with which many middle school readers can identify: yes, I have ugly thoughts sometimes but I can choose how I behave toward other people. Unfortunately, this story is left in bits and pieces around the ridiculous Paulie Fink contest.
Don't get me wrong, the Paulie Fink story could absolutely work on its own as a light, fun, silly story. But Caitlyn's story and the Paulie Fink story just don't go together. The author never succeeds in weaving all the disparate elements of the book into any kind of cohesive narrative. Sadly, The Next Great Paulie Fink is a confusing--and consequently irritating--jumble of ideas and images that never really organize themselves into the kind of story I expect from Ali Benjamin. I will not be recommending this one to readers of any age.
I found this book to be just utterly delightful. I listened to it on audiobook and I didn't want to put it down (Does that phrase work when it is an audiobook? Would take off my headphones work better?)
First, I love a flawed protagonist and I feel like it isn't too often that you get those in middle grade fiction. I was also afraid that Paulie Fink was just going to be a manic-pixie-dream-girl boy but he was revealed to be way more than that as well.
Overall, this is just a fun book. I hope that it is one that kids will enjoy as well.
Note on the audiobook: It's a pretty good audiobook and does have a full-cast. My only nitpick is that the men they got to do the voice-acting for the male students sound like men and not 12 to 13 year-old boys.
First, I love a flawed protagonist and I feel like it isn't too often that you get those in middle grade fiction. I was also afraid that Paulie Fink was just going to be a manic-pixie-dream-
Overall, this is just a fun book. I hope that it is one that kids will enjoy as well.
Note on the audiobook: It's a pretty good audiobook and does have a full-cast. My only nitpick is that the men they got to do the voice-acting for the male students sound like men and not 12 to 13 year-old boys.
I had a hard time getting into this one, but then really loved the message about perspective and legacy at the end — so I’m torn. The format of multiple perspectives might be interesting for some, but jumped around a little too much for me. Ages 10 and up.
For the entire summary & review, please visit at https://thepageandpassport.com/?p=417 .
Caitlyn Breen is that new kid at Mitchell School. She's especially that new kid because her grade 7 class is so small. Besides being the new kid, she also is stepping into the biggest, boldest shoes imaginable ... those of Paulie Fink, legendary trickster and prankster. Everyone expected Paulie on the first day of school, but when he doesn't show up, Caitlyn is sucked unexpectedly into a realty-show-type game where she must choose the next great Paulie Fink.
Alright, this is a feel good middle grade book that I sort of ate up because it's that heart-felt and well-written. Ali Benjamin manages to introduce Greek philosophy (Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave', anyone?) and mythology and the concept of mythologizing all in a completely understandable manner ... even for middle grade students. It's approachable and meaningful.
It's an enjoyable read with many great messages. The action really moved along, with great laughs (escaped goats!) and moments of growth, and it kept my interest. The cast of characters - students, parents, teachers, and principal - were relatable and had unique voices and perspectives. This is a great book to teach kids empathy and the importance of looking beyond initial impressions, along with being unafraid of change and growth.
Caitlyn Breen is that new kid at Mitchell School. She's especially that new kid because her grade 7 class is so small. Besides being the new kid, she also is stepping into the biggest, boldest shoes imaginable ... those of Paulie Fink, legendary trickster and prankster. Everyone expected Paulie on the first day of school, but when he doesn't show up, Caitlyn is sucked unexpectedly into a realty-show-type game where she must choose the next great Paulie Fink.
Alright, this is a feel good middle grade book that I sort of ate up because it's that heart-felt and well-written. Ali Benjamin manages to introduce Greek philosophy (Plato's 'Allegory of the Cave', anyone?) and mythology and the concept of mythologizing all in a completely understandable manner ... even for middle grade students. It's approachable and meaningful.
It's an enjoyable read with many great messages. The action really moved along, with great laughs (escaped goats!) and moments of growth, and it kept my interest. The cast of characters - students, parents, teachers, and principal - were relatable and had unique voices and perspectives. This is a great book to teach kids empathy and the importance of looking beyond initial impressions, along with being unafraid of change and growth.