nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
A great anti-bullying book for middle school readers (including 6th grade); short, funny, and packs a good message in disguise. 8th grader Atticus, shy, overweight and completely lacking in self-confidence, has an overactive imagination that takes over in times of stress and has him seeing everything from dead poets talking to hearing a stadium announcer narrate his life, to having a mental argument with his anthropomorphized baseball uniform. (They're hilarious, these exchanges!) He's stressed over his parents' failing marriage, and he's bullied severely by another boy in his class, teased and called "Fatticus." But with the arrival of a new substitute English teacher, things start to change. At first, the "older than dirt" Mr. Looney totally freaks everyone out, because he has some strange new teaching methods--like getting rid of all of the desks and chairs and just dancing around to jungle music! But gradually Atticus and the other students get to liking him, and Atticus forms a bond with him over the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, when Atticus learns that's where his dreaded name came from. (This is my only negative thought about this book--would he really have gotten to age 13 without knowing the origin of such an unusual name? I mean, he had no clue! What was his mother thinking? But I can see how the author needed him to be in the dark for plot purposes.) The bullying issue becomes severe and Mr. Looney's job is in jeopardy, but through the travails Atticus gradually learns how to stand up for himself and to speak up, especially in relation to the girl on whom he has a huge crush. So there's a lot going on in this little book, a great read for middle schoolers. It was obviously written by a teacher who loves kids; I wonder how many of Mr. Looney's teaching methods the author actually used in his classroom, they're pretty cool!
charlisbookbox's review against another edition
4.0
I don’t normally read what is classified as Middle Grade Fiction, but something about this book spoke to me. Perhaps it was the fact that our main character and narrator Atticus Hobart is bullied and so were my best friend and I. Maybe not, but upon discovering that the book deals in a way with the topic of bullying, I had to read it and see what it was about.
Atticus Hobart is a 13-year-old boy who is good at pretty much nothing except for imagining things. He is quiet, unassuming, and frankly, he’s picked on. Every school has its bully and Pitts Middle School has Danny Wills—son of the local Little League baseball team coach and the chairwoman of the school board. Of course, having his mother be the school board chair makes Danny think he’s hot stuff and can’t be touched for anything he does—including beating up on other students.
When the 8th grade English teacher goes on maternity leave, Mr. Looney is her replacement. He’s a character all right, a seventy-seven year old man who feels his main purpose is to teach students something that traditional school learning can’t. And he does his job well, to be perfectly honest.
This book doesn’t read as much like middle grade fiction as I thought it would. I was looking for something a bit more juvenile than it actually turned out to be. It’s a great read for any student who is middle grade or higher. Even some adults could learn something from this book. This book teaches how courage comes from within and that you don’t have to be the textbook definition of brave to actually be brave.
I highly recommend this book for any middle grade or higher student—especially those who are being bullied.
**I received this book free of charge from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.**
Atticus Hobart is a 13-year-old boy who is good at pretty much nothing except for imagining things. He is quiet, unassuming, and frankly, he’s picked on. Every school has its bully and Pitts Middle School has Danny Wills—son of the local Little League baseball team coach and the chairwoman of the school board. Of course, having his mother be the school board chair makes Danny think he’s hot stuff and can’t be touched for anything he does—including beating up on other students.
When the 8th grade English teacher goes on maternity leave, Mr. Looney is her replacement. He’s a character all right, a seventy-seven year old man who feels his main purpose is to teach students something that traditional school learning can’t. And he does his job well, to be perfectly honest.
This book doesn’t read as much like middle grade fiction as I thought it would. I was looking for something a bit more juvenile than it actually turned out to be. It’s a great read for any student who is middle grade or higher. Even some adults could learn something from this book. This book teaches how courage comes from within and that you don’t have to be the textbook definition of brave to actually be brave.
I highly recommend this book for any middle grade or higher student—especially those who are being bullied.
**I received this book free of charge from BookLook in exchange for my honest review.**
teenlibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
There are a lot of YA and middle grade books that revolve around "To Kill a Mockingbird." -I can name 2 others off the top of my head: I Kill the Mockingbird, and Sure Signs of Crazy.
But this book was a quick read with a great message about courage. Courage comes in many forms and in many ways. Can't wait to booktalk this book to my middle schooler kids at the library
But this book was a quick read with a great message about courage. Courage comes in many forms and in many ways. Can't wait to booktalk this book to my middle schooler kids at the library
lesread's review against another edition
5.0
PG for mild language and bullying
Recommend to 10 & up
REVIEW:
I was very surprised by this book. I came into expecting a simplified, fast-paced story, but this book actually was beautifully written and delved into some impressive topics about life for a middle school read. I finished this in a day, staying up late to read it, and I will definitely be keeping this.
Atticus has an amazing imagination, and I was glad the book ended on a good, albeit realistic, note. I also love how To Kill a Mockingbird played a roll in this book. I love it when novels mention or incorporate other works into their story.
Highly recommend this book!
If you have any kids, I definitely recommend you pick this up for them because I think they would really enjoy it and will blaze through this easy, thought-provoking read.
DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.
For my full review and Content Advisory, click here!
Recommend to 10 & up
REVIEW:
I was very surprised by this book. I came into expecting a simplified, fast-paced story, but this book actually was beautifully written and delved into some impressive topics about life for a middle school read. I finished this in a day, staying up late to read it, and I will definitely be keeping this.
Atticus has an amazing imagination, and I was glad the book ended on a good, albeit realistic, note. I also love how To Kill a Mockingbird played a roll in this book. I love it when novels mention or incorporate other works into their story.
Highly recommend this book!
If you have any kids, I definitely recommend you pick this up for them because I think they would really enjoy it and will blaze through this easy, thought-provoking read.
DISCLAIMER: I received this book for free from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.
For my full review and Content Advisory, click here!
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