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It's not like I meant for him to get hurt. . . .Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp shines with humor and heart. This remarkably powerful story will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters.Praise for Twerp: A Bankstreet Best Book of the Year A Junior Library Guild Selection A Summer Top Ten Kids’ Indie Next List PickA Sunshine State Award Finalist “Reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. . . . You don’t have to be a twerp to read this book.” —New York Post “A vivid, absorbing story about one boy’s misadventure, heartache, and hope for himself.” —Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me “Mark Goldblatt is an amazingly wonderful writer.” —Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library “[Fans of] Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid who have matured beyond the scope and gravity of that series will find a kindred spirit in Julian.” —School Library Journal “Reminiscent of movies like The Sandlot. . . . Well-written and funny.” —The Advocate “Alternately poignant and comical. . . . A thought-provoking exploration of bullying, personal integrity and self-acceptance.” —Kirkus Reviews “A timely book.” —New York Journal of Books “Elegant in its simplicity and accessibility.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “An empathetic and authentic glimpse into the mind of a sixth-grade boy.” —The Florida Times-Union “Funny, poignant, and an effective commentary on bullying and its consequences.” —The Horn Book MagazineFrom the Hardcover edition.
Lexile Measure: 0730 (What's this?)
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Yearling; Reprint edition (May 13, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375971459
ISBN-13: 978-0375971457
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 7.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (150 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #39,936 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #31 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Friendship, Social Skills & School Life > Peer Pressure #68 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > United States > 1900s #86 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Friendship, Social Skills & School Life > Bullies
Age Range: 9 - 12 years
Grade Level: 4 - 7
Mark Goldblatt's Twerp is an engaging coming of age story that is witty and thought-provoking. Although categorized as young adult fiction, this charming novel will resonate with readers of all ages.Julian Twerski really loathes Shakespeare, so when his sixth grade English teacher Mr. Selkirk offers him to let him keep a journal in lieu of writing a report on Julius Caesar, Julian eagerly agrees. Of course Mr. Selkirk has an ulterior motive: he wants Julian to write about the incident that resulted in a school suspension for Julian and his friends. Instead of writing about what happened to Danley Dimmel, Julian gives a pretty captivating account of the various exploits that he and his friends engage in the last six months of the school year.Set in 1969 New York, Twerp fully captures the freedom experienced by children in that time period. With no cell phones or video games, Julian and his friends are free to roam their neighborhoods with little parental supervision. Their boredom often leads to some creative adventures that sometimes end with disastrous results. In journaling his various escapades, Julian often gains valuable insight about the consequences of their actions.Julian does an excellent job deflecting Mr. Selkirk's (and the reader's) attention away from Danley Dimmel and the events leading up to Julian's suspension from school. Julian makes brief references to both Danley and the suspension, but he never gives away any details about what happened. This build-up to the final revelation in the journal is crucial to the novel's resolution and everyone's patience is well rewarded in the end.Twerp is an entertaining and fascinating novel about adolescence and friendship.
Twerp
