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A review by shighley
Middle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill by James Patterson
2.0
Patterson and Tebbetts aim for some of the lowest common denominators of gross out here-eat till you vomit, poop under the cabin, continually trash another group's possessions. I don't think the anti-bullying message is all that effective, as it appears that one of the highlights is Rafe taking revenge on the Bobcats. Even the title seems to be pandering, as broccoli and Snake Hill are but very minor cogs in the plot.
I did like the aspect of Rafe feeling like a leader, having friends, and excelling in something. I wondered how a struggling single mom would be able to afford sending two children off to 8 weeks of camp, and wouldn't you check the actual condition of the camp? And what camp allows counselors to desert their cabins every night? Ah, but yes these are plot devices needed to move along a work of fiction.
They do throw in a few things to ingratiate librarians: mentions of Holes, Hugo Cabret, and calling us wonderful. Sure, I'll buy this book for my library, because the kids will want to read it. Curiously, I listened to this right after Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation, which was much more positive and genuinely funny.
It is interesting how the book is edited a bit to make references to the audiobook.
I did like the aspect of Rafe feeling like a leader, having friends, and excelling in something. I wondered how a struggling single mom would be able to afford sending two children off to 8 weeks of camp, and wouldn't you check the actual condition of the camp? And what camp allows counselors to desert their cabins every night? Ah, but yes these are plot devices needed to move along a work of fiction.
They do throw in a few things to ingratiate librarians: mentions of Holes, Hugo Cabret, and calling us wonderful. Sure, I'll buy this book for my library, because the kids will want to read it. Curiously, I listened to this right after Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Summer Vacation, which was much more positive and genuinely funny.
It is interesting how the book is edited a bit to make references to the audiobook.