A review by couillac
Addie on the Inside by James Howe

5.0

Maybe because Addie reminds me so much of who I was as well as who I wanted to be in middle school, but Howe's exploration of the internal workings of Addie hit really close to home. Amazingly authentic with poems that are varied and FUN to read. I could really see this book working in a middle school English class as a read aloud. Addie, who was a secondary character in Totally Joe, comes to life with extraordinary depth in this novel in verse. As in his previous book featuring these characters, Howe touches on bullying and the seemingly random antagonism of middle school that will ring true for so many teens of all ages. I see myself in Addie, so I'm probably biased, but this is definitely one of my best of the year. A lot of opportunities for good discussion in any middle school classroom, but an eye-opening and enjoyable read for young and older teens of varying experiences.