95 Pounds of Hope [Hardcover]

Anna Gavalda (Author), Gill Rosner (Translator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Gregory has never liked school. And now that he's in sixth grade, life has only gotten worse. He's been held back twice and expelled once. His parents think he should go to boarding school, but his only happy moments have been found in his grandfather's cluttered shed, among the tools he uses to build his inventions. Grandfather has been his only supporter, but now even he is urging Gregory to take control of his life. Gregory has to wonder if a fresh start-in school and in life-might not be such a terrible idea after all. This fresh, funny, direct story will resonate with every reader who has ever felt like a square peg in a round hole.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-Gregory Dubosc, 13, has been left back twice, expelled, and rejected from virtually every school in town. Aside from one nurturing, creative year in kindergarten, his school experience has been a torturous, punitive bore. An only child, Gregory lives with his caring, but unhappily married, overanxious parents. His favorite person in the world is his Grandpa Leon, a brilliant designer and retired architectural consultant. They spend hours in the old man's workshop, and Gregory has been designing gadgets and inventions of his own since preschool. Knowing that a change of scene away from his feuding parents might be the best medicine for the misunderstood boy, Leon suggests boarding school. Gregory finds a technical school that features hands-on activities like woodshop and gardening, which seems promising. Just as life is looking up, Grandpa is hospitalized with a serious illness. Afraid that he might die, Gregory begins to approach life and school with a new determination and spirit to somehow save him. Just when the situation seems hopeless, the old man miraculously shows up at school, IV in tow, for a surprise visit, and Gregory's life has new meaning. This short novel depicts a powerful intergenerational relationship with warmth and humor. Likewise, the boy's first-person narration is witty and engaging. A good choice for struggling students and those who march to a different drummer.
Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Thirteen-year-old Gregory Dubosc is a twice-flunked sixth-grader who hates everything about school. His feuding parents make no attempt to understand him, classmates tease him, and he has been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. What Gregory likes best is making things with his hands, but there's no outlet for this passion in his school. His dream is to go to technical school, where he can do what he loves, and with the urging of his grandfather, he's able to better his grades and achieve his dream. Although Gregory is an interesting character with an engaging voice, there's too little about him and his relationship with his parents and peers to give readers a fully developed picture. In addition, the contrived resolution belies the credible situation Gavalda sets up early in the story. That said, however, there are sure to be plenty of kids who will empathize with Gregory's passionate dislike of school and be encouraged by his success at finding a way to turn hope into reality. Ed Sullivan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (September 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670036722
• ISBN-13: 978-0670036721
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #969,388 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A charming little French book, July 1, 2007

By 

Hippietyp (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 95 Pounds of Hope (Hardcover)

The main character turns out to be very likable, even though many of the other characters consider him to be a loser of low intelligence. His intelligence simply is not inherently comfortable in the French academic setting. With the help and advice of his grandfather, he is able to work on many of his issues, not just the academic ones, but also those of self-pity and failure to take responsibility. I actually read this book in French, so I can't assess the quality of the translation. My French isn't that stellar, but I still thought the book was an easy read.

3 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 95 pounds of hope, March 15, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: 95 Pounds of Hope (Hardcover)

I lot the book was good. The book is about a boy that didn't like school. The boy reminds me of me. B/c I hated school to when I was littel. Thats why I like the book.

The thing I like the most was when he was climing the rope and asked for help from his grandfather. That part remineds me of my grandfather.

The thing I can see in the story is. the boy climing the rope sweeting and having a hared time climing.