The Next Great Paulie Fink

Author: Benjamin, Ali

Edition: 1st Edition

Number Of Pages: 368

Details:

In this acclaimed novel by the author of the award-winning, bestselling The Thing About Jellyfish, being the new kid at school isn't easy, especially when you have to follow in the footsteps of a legendary classroom prankster. When Caitlyn Breen begins her disorienting new life at Mitchell School--where the students take care of real live goats and study long-dead philosophers, and where there are only ten other students in the entire seventh grade--it seems like nobody can stop talking about some kid named Paulie Fink. Depending on whom you ask, Paulie was either a hilarious class clown, a relentless troublemaker, a hapless klutz, or an evil genius. One thing's for sure, though: The kid was totally legendary. Now he's disappeared, and Caitlyn finds herself leading a reality-show-style competition to find the school's next great Paulie Fink. With each challenge, Caitlyn struggles to understand a person she never met...but it's what she discovers about herself that most surprises her. Told in multiple voices, interviews, and documents, this funny, thought-provoking novel from the bestselling author of The Thing About Jellyfish is a memorable exploration of what makes a hero--and if anyone, or anything, is truly what it seems. From School Library Journal Gr 5–8—Caitlyn has spent her sixth grade year learning the rules of middle school survival, and, while not attaining "silver dollar" social status, has secured a place among the other shiny "quarters." When her mother gets a new job and they move to rural Vermont, Caitlyn must reconsider everything she thought she knew, including the social hierarchy and her place in it. First of all, the Mitchell school, housed in a ramshackle old estate, resembles a haunted mansion. The kids are assigned to care for a herd of goats that are grooming their soccer field and are expected to have lunch with assigned kindergarten buddies. Secondly, there are only 11 students in the entire seventh grade and they are in no way cool. Her classmates are devastated to learn that Paulie Fink, the legendary class prankster and creator of chaos, has not returned to Mitchell and they are too distraught to welcome Caitlyn. When the kids decide to hold a reality TV–type competition for the next great Paulie Fink, Caitlyn is chosen as the logical impartial arbiter. She uses oral histories and interviews to get to know her classmates as they demythologize this larger-than-life figure and learns a great deal about her own strengths in the process. Benjamin has crafted a smart, funny, and deeply felt coming of age story that middle schoolers will relate to and find themselves ruminating on. She incorporates allegories from the ancient Greeks to examine assumptions and to question one's place in the community and in the world. VERDICT A witty, tender, and utterly engaging modern school story that draws on the wisdom of the ages.—Luann Toth, School Library Journal

Reviews:

Praise for The Next Great Paulie Fink: A Parents Magazine 30 Best Kids' Books of 2019 A LAPL Best Books of 2019 A NYPL Best Books of 2019 A Kirkus

Reviews:

s Best Children's Books of 2019 A Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2019 A Publishers Weekly Most Anticipated Children's Book of Spring 2019 An Amazon Best Book of the Month for April 2019

"A funny and fast-paced romp."

― The New York Times

*

"A story with massive heart... A book to make readers think, question, reach, laugh, and strive harder."

― Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*

"A witty, tender, and utterly engaging modern school story that draws on the wisdom of the ages."

― School Library Journal, starred review

*

"Genuinely original, the novel offers thoughtful perspectives on friendship, accepting change, and the many rewarding guises of storytelling, as well as a fully gratifying ending that the characters don't see coming."

― Publishers Weekly, starred review

*

"A beautiful, powerful novel about embracing one's own great self, even--or especiall...

EAN: 9780316380881

Release Date: 16-04-2019

Languages: English

Binding: Hardcover