Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
I really like this story of Scott Hudson, a freshman in high school. I loved the humor, the references to different books, and stories of friendship...old friends who change on you, kids with no friends, and making new friends with unexpected people. It is a funny book, but it also deals with some serious issues, like teen suicide.
Similar to I Love You, Beth Cooper & The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Funny and self-deprecating teen boy who suffers from nerdiness and yet perseveres.
Favorite Quotes:
We're starting a new book in English pretty soon. How's this for weird - I'll be reading The Outsiders. And you, my unborn, unformed, uninvited sibling, are the ultimate insider. Ewww.
The folks went out to buy some furniture for the nursery. They buy stuff every week. I think you're going to have a bad impact on cash flow around here. I hope we can recover our investment when I sell you.
Something wrong? I asked her.
It's winter, she said.
It's been winter for a while, I said.
That's the problem.
Hang in there, I told her. It'll be over soon enough.
But it'll come back.
Favorite Quotes:
We're starting a new book in English pretty soon. How's this for weird - I'll be reading The Outsiders. And you, my unborn, unformed, uninvited sibling, are the ultimate insider. Ewww.
The folks went out to buy some furniture for the nursery. They buy stuff every week. I think you're going to have a bad impact on cash flow around here. I hope we can recover our investment when I sell you.
Something wrong? I asked her.
It's winter, she said.
It's been winter for a while, I said.
That's the problem.
Hang in there, I told her. It'll be over soon enough.
But it'll come back.
A humorous look at what it takes to survive freshman year from the point of view of Scott. It switches from narration to the form of a survival guide to Scott's as yet unborn sibling.
I really liked this book because it was a break from other heavier books for me. It was fun, clever, and witty...overall I had a lot of fun with this book!
"This book is hilarious," Tom said laughingly! Read it and come up with your own Tom Swifties. Just listened to this audiobook on a recent trip. It is so funny, clever, sweet and has a really great message for teens - plus great English lessons and vocabulary building. Recommended for all adults and teens, especially freshmen. A little bad language, but okay for teens and up.
Such a hilarious novel, cleverly written by an author who has a strong understanding of what it means to survive in high school. Lubar has created such a funny and witty character in the narrator of Scott, who is doing his best to fit in as a freshman and still keep his identity and interests intact. My daughter is reading this for her grade nine English class; I wish I had the opportunity to read something like this when I was in highschool!
this book used so many BIG words, i had to look them all up to get the full effect. The kid in there was so smart, it feels weird that he is so smart and i'm the same age, and didn't understand a lot of stuff until it was explained. then again, the author is not my age, and he was the one who was actually writing. but i liked this book, it made me think about my vocabulary a lot!
I liked this story more than I liked the audiobook production.
I found the book charming and refreshing, in that it hearkens back to a time before every literary teenager was angst-ridden and orphaned and/or abused. It's about a normal kid with normal anxieties navigating his first year of high school. I hope "kids these days" (I love that I can say that, now) are as thoughtful, compassionate and able to learn from life experiences as Scott was.
The audiobook, however, is not as engaging. I didn't understand the use of music throughout...and why smooth jazz? The use of baby-mobile music to signal a diary entry got annoying. The music didn't always indicate a new chapter, either; sometimes it just appeared in the middle of a sentence. It was the wrong sounds at the wrong time and I found it distracting.
Also, it was a Full Cast Audio production. It's fun to hear different voices playing the different roles, but it's rare that these are assembled so well that it feels "real". Conversations don't play out well because they're stilted; there's no flow. It isn't believable because it sounds like a bunch of people reading their lines.
I would recommend the book but not necessarily this version.
I found the book charming and refreshing, in that it hearkens back to a time before every literary teenager was angst-ridden and orphaned and/or abused. It's about a normal kid with normal anxieties navigating his first year of high school. I hope "kids these days" (I love that I can say that, now) are as thoughtful, compassionate and able to learn from life experiences as Scott was.
The audiobook, however, is not as engaging. I didn't understand the use of music throughout...and why smooth jazz? The use of baby-mobile music to signal a diary entry got annoying. The music didn't always indicate a new chapter, either; sometimes it just appeared in the middle of a sentence. It was the wrong sounds at the wrong time and I found it distracting.
Also, it was a Full Cast Audio production. It's fun to hear different voices playing the different roles, but it's rare that these are assembled so well that it feels "real". Conversations don't play out well because they're stilted; there's no flow. It isn't believable because it sounds like a bunch of people reading their lines.
I would recommend the book but not necessarily this version.
This young adult novel was engaging and intelligent. Scott is witty and self-depreciating and uncomfortable in his own skin, just like every other high school student. He doesn't see his own talents and strengths until the end of the book and, because you're seeing the world through his eyes, he seems authentic. Lubar is intelligent and expects his readers to be, also, especially during the passages that take place in English class, but also takes the time to explain concepts and vocabulary so readers don't feel inadequate if they don't know something. I occasionally had to pull on my knowledge of Pennsylvania geography (cities and waterways) and culture (the importance of hunting and fishing season), but that was the only real place I noticed that readers might have a prior knowledge gap.
This book is truly a gem for motivating reluctant male readers, especially since it contains a key character who never truly learned to read. For motivational purposes, I especially like that the novel is full of suggestions for further reading. Scott is a voracious reader, and drops mention of other books -all genres across many reading levels - throughout his story. It would be so easy to use this book as a starting-off point for getting kids to pick up other books.
I also have to give Lubar props for making high school authentic. There was no cheery "we're all friends" like High School Musical, no over-the-top Grease stereotypes. Just lots of kids going through an awkward phase as they become more self-aware and decide where their loyalties lie.
I loved every moment of this book, and am so excited to have another great novel to recommend to kids!
This book is truly a gem for motivating reluctant male readers, especially since it contains a key character who never truly learned to read. For motivational purposes, I especially like that the novel is full of suggestions for further reading. Scott is a voracious reader, and drops mention of other books -all genres across many reading levels - throughout his story. It would be so easy to use this book as a starting-off point for getting kids to pick up other books.
I also have to give Lubar props for making high school authentic. There was no cheery "we're all friends" like High School Musical, no over-the-top Grease stereotypes. Just lots of kids going through an awkward phase as they become more self-aware and decide where their loyalties lie.
I loved every moment of this book, and am so excited to have another great novel to recommend to kids!
So maybe I'm a little old to be reading this. Regardless, this book was excellent! It may sound just like any other story about surviving high school/freshman year but the main character is so clever it makes a noticeable difference from all the similar literature out there. I really loved it. Couldn't put it down! Definitely a book I want on my shelf and would definitely recommend to everyone.