Synopses & Reviews
Earl got big.
Or, rather,
big got Earl.
Earl Pryor is the biggest thirteen-year-old anyone ever saw. He's taller than a lot of grown-ups. He's got a hairy chest. He shaves. High school kids ask him to buy them beer.
Everyone thinks Earl's so tough, such a troublemaker, such a man. They come to him looking for a fight. And Earl will fight them. But he's not so tough: He loves his mom, loves his dad. Still, a man's got to take care of himself. He's got to make people respect him. If Earl's dad has taught him anything, he's taught him that.
When Earl gets suspended from school for a week for fighting, he figures he'll fill up the days somehow. But a lot can happen in a week. His family is falling apart. Everything he counted on is falling apart, and Earl's still learning what it really means to be a man.
Review
“Successfully captures the nuances of Earls character. Superbly written.” School Library Journal
Review
“Sad, tender, and finally hopeful.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Synopsis
Earl Pryor's the biggest thirteen-year-old anybody ever saw. Everyone thinks Earl's tough, a real man. Come looking for a fight, Earl will fight you. Until everything Earl counts on begins to fall apart.
Who the Man, the story of a bully who's all grown up in size but young in understanding, is Chris Lynch's second novel for middle-grade readers.
About the Author
Chris Lynch is a National Book Award finalist and the author of many highly acclaimed books for young adults, including The Big Game of Everything, Who the Man, and the Michael L. Printz Honor Book Freewill; Iceman, Shadow boxer, Gold Dust, and Slot Machine, all ALA Best Books for Young Adults; and Extreme Elvin. He also mentors aspiring writers and teaches in the creative writing program at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.