The Misfits (Paperback)

As four twelve-year-olds go through Middle School, you remember how much you just wanted to get through the seventh grade. Bobby Goodspeed, Joe Bunch, Skeezie Tookis, and Addie Carle were the same way, but it was harder than it looked. Going through the hallways of Paintbrush Falls Middle School getting called names was just a regular day for them. They each thought that they didn't belong; they were the outcasts, the weirdoes, and the ones who wanted to flee from their godforsaken hometown and forget about their pasts. So each one found each other, forming the Gang of Five, even though there were only four of them to keep people on their toes. The Misfits was a very intriguing book that I would suggest to anyone who would attempt to read it. You are drawn in and enthralled by the plot of four "misfits" trying to fit into their middle school and create a new political group, the No-Name Party. The new group would help the students in middle school get along better and relieve pressure on the ones who get called the worst names. They have each gone through a troubling childhood, getting called names from Nerdette to Twinkletoes and from Blubber to Hooligan. From the beginning of their story to the end, you get attached to Bobby, a "fluffy" boy who thinks he is fat that works selling ties, Joe, the one who is a little too feminine and who only paints his pinky, Skeezie, a boy that never washes himself and chews with his mouth open, and Addie, the tall smart one that gets on almost everyone's nerves. No matter what they look like or how they act, you listen to their realistic problems, like boyfriends and girlfriends, not getting the rights each and every seventh grader deserves, and their peers, flinching at every nickname they are called. James Howe keeps you on your toes and on the edge of your seat with every conflict with Ms Wyman, and her tearing your liver out, and each vote that would make the No-Name Party the winning one, no matter what the definition of "winning" you have. I would recommend this book to anyone who would learn that making friends is more fun than name-calling. I really enjoyed this book, and I think that it would benefit everyone who read it, whether a bully, popular student, or a "misfit." I give this book five stars for it's colorful, yet understandable plot that brought a smile to my face and a twinge in my heart. With every new character and personality, you understand how each Misfit was torn down inside with a name that would stick to them for the rest of their lives, because as their slogan says, "sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit."

Pork Chop, Lardo, Fluff, Geek...Girl, Wimp, Josephine, Nerd...Slimeball, Grease ball, Dork...Show-off, Know-it-all, Nerdette

I didn't like the way the author ended the book it didn't end as I thought. What I did like is that it tells you what happened to the characters over the years and who they became. The introduction caught my eye because the main character describes his friends and personalities in one chapter.

The story elements I thought were the most vivid were the author described each characters personality, feelings, image, and what they said or acted. You can almost see and comprehend the characters. Another element I liked was the characters conflicts. Their conflicts they each have are realistic ones such as with teachers, family, frinds, e.t.c. They have problems that make you appreciate the things you have.