John David Anderson (1) (1975–)

The sticky note war is more gimmick than actual story. It has very little to do with the plot at all and almost serves as a frame for Anderson's character development. What makes this story great is the way the author writes the tension of changing relationships so well. Through his narrator, Frost, Anderson tackles both evolving childhood friendships and tumultuous marriages with a beautiful poignancy. As a reader, you feel for these kids in a way that doesn't become saccharine or sappy. They don't become melodramatic. They feel real and so do their emotions and concerns. While the ending felt a little artificial, I could also appreciate why Anderson tied it up the way he did.… (more)

Bryan Biggins- small stature, freckled face, bully-target- attends middle school by day. His alter ego, Kieran Nightstalker- level-fifty, dark-elf hero- fights dragons and blasts bad guys in Sovereign of Darkness by night. Bryan plays night after night with one goal in mind- to beat the game so he can unlock the secret bonus level. The night Bryan succeeds, his computer crashes. Totally fried! When his alarm clock wakes him in the morning, he sees a blue hologram hanging in the air over the clock- “Insert Coin to Continue.” Bryan’s legs won’t move. They look like two blocks of wood under the covers. Then, the hologram begins to blink, and numbers below it start a countdown. Luckily, there’s a small pile of coins on his nightstand. Bryan drops a quarter in the slot. The hologram disappears along with Bryan’s paralysis. Thus begins life as video game. He has to solve complex math problems before they fall down the blackboard and disappear. In English, the teacher chooses Bryan to read Romeo’s lines. Unfortunately, the game inserts multiple choice situations in blue. Bryan must answer them correctly to see Romeo’s real lines typed on the pages. Then, the math teacher sends him on a quest into the heavily guarded teacher’s lounge. The prize? A Twinkie from the vending machine. Bryan has to elude the dreaded hall monitor and brave the school’s boiler room to rescue the science teacher’s mouse. Along the way, he gains experience points, loses hit points, and moves up levels. Several times, he must insert a coin to continue. Before he can win the game, Bryan has to fight the school’s bully and win the favor of the school’s princess.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com… (more)

Best friends Christopher (Topher), Steve, and Brand know that there are six types of teachers- the ancient, brain-eating Zombies, the caffeine addicted Caff-Adds, the no-fun, no-talking Dungeon Masters, the daily educational movie showing Spielbergs, the idealistic, overachieving Noobs, and the Good Ones. When Topher, Brand and Steve started sixth grade, they knew that Ms. Bixby was a Good One. Topher met Ms. Bixby three years before sixth grade when she was working as a circus juggler. When he asked her to teach him, she told him that she would teach him something is a few years. The boys love having Ms. Bixby as their teacher, but their year with her ends early when she announces that she has pancreatic cancer. She tells the class on a Tuesday and says that her last day at school would be a week from Friday. Steve remembers looking outside at the rain pouring down. On Monday, the students find a substitute sitting at Ms. Bixby’s desk. Ms. Bixby was in the hospital and wouldn’t be coming back. No goodbyes. No going away party. That’s when the boys hatch the plan- cut class, take a bus to the hospital, and spend one more “perfect” day with their favorite teacher. As Topher, Steve, and Brand collect each ingredient for the picnic- a cheesecake, a bottle of wine, a bag of McDonald’s fries, and The Hobbit so they can finish reading it with her, they each share the events of the day and Ms. Bixby’s positive impact on their lives.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com… (more)

Well, this made me bawl my eyes out. So I have to give it five stars.

Topher, Steve and Brand are sixth graders. They're the target of bullies, but they're also resilient and fun dudes. Topher is an artist with a wild imagination. Steve is a little like Spock, super logical and intelligent. Brand thinks there's nothing special about him, but the fact that his dad is disabled means Brand has taken on a lot of adult responsibilities, making him especially determined and capable.

These three friends each tell part of the story in turn. They go on a kind of quest to see their teacher Ms. Bixby in the hospital. It is, of course, part adventure and part comedy of errors. They have to skip school, take a bus into the city, and procure certain items, at least one of which is illegal for minors to purchase.

The heart of this story is each boy's connection to Ms. Bixby. She is a Cool Teacher (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CoolTeacher) but it doesn't play like a stereotype. She gives each of these three boys what they need and they want to give her something back in her time of need.

Like [b:The Great American Whatever|25663382|The Great American Whatever|Tim Federle|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1433439493s/25663382.jpg|45486309], this manages to be both funny and heartbreaking, which is a winning combination like salty and sweet or comfortable and stylish. A perfect book for a 6th grader, just edgy enough not to be babyish (there's a little bit of swearing and just a touch of risque) but not beyond what an average preteen can handle.

There are allusions to great poetry, music and literature (you'll probably want to read or re-read The Hobbit after this and go look up Walt Whitman), which is a hallmark of the Cool Teacher. She turns you on to cool stuff.

Is it a drawback that Steve's character calls on a certain Asian-American stereotype? He has tiger parents and a perfect sister who's a pianist. In popular culture Asian people tend to be portrayed as logical, good at math, and socially reserved like Steve. But Steve is a well-developed character with a rich inner life. He is not just a series of stereotypical traits. Maybe his parents are, though. I'm not sure where I ultimately come down on this but I mention it because I'm sure there are readers who are tired of seeing this stereotypical set of attributes. But I did love Steve. To get into spoiler territory: I thought there was a subtle implication that Steve is gay and feels more than just friendship for Topher. That definitely shades his character, right? To be 12 and dealing with an attraction to your straight BFF? That would explain being reserved in how you express your emotions. And I liked what the author did with Steve's relationship with his sister.

So there you have it. Read with tissues at the ready.… (more)