Synopses & Reviews
"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
It's not like I meant for Danley 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.
Review
"Another solid outing from veteran Hahn."
—Kirkus
"Hahn gives Brendan a narrative voice that is urgent, contemplative, and believable in this nuanced story about transformation, trust, identity, friendship, and loss."
—Publishers Weekly
"This is quintessential middle-grade realistic fiction, with an unvarnished depiction of the miseries that can be visited upon a quiet sixth grader and the succor that can be found in the hard-won friendship of peers and the attention of understanding elders."
—Horn Book Magazine
"A gentle and moving story."
—Booklist
"The fantasy of a forested getaway spot and the universality of Sam’s self-doubt give this strong appeal to a wide audience, who will start prowling their own neighborhoods for secret arboreal hideaways."
—Bulletin
Synopsis
MARK GOLDBLATT is a lot like Julian Twerski, only not as interesting. He’s a widely published columnist, a novelist, and a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Twerp is his first book for younger readers. He lives in New York City. Visit him online at markgoldblattkids.com.
Synopsis
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 Pick
A 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 Magazine
Synopsis
Alienated, bullied, a classic underachiever, 12-year-old Brendan retreats into his fantasy world and then faces the long and demanding journey to a real world where he belongs.
Synopsis
No one is kind to sixth-grader Brendan Doyle: his foster mother, his teachers, his classmates, and especially the thugs who bully him. He takes refuge in books, drawing, carving, and daydreaming. When Brendan stumbles upon an old man near his tree house in the Virginia woods, he is quick to believe that this is the magical Green Man, guardian spirit of the forest. Brendan's need to immerse himself in his fantasy world becomes more acute, until he meets a girl with secrets of her own who may just keep his feet on the ground.
About the Author
"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
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.
"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