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The Edumacation of Jay Baker (Christy Ottaviano Books) [Hardcover]

Jay Clark (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews) |
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Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2012 | Series: Christy Ottaviano Books
Meet Jay Baker . . . or, as he is not-so-affectionately called by his opponent in the freshman-class presidential election--no comment.

A few random bullet points about Jay:
  • He is stupidly in love with his best friend, cheerleading dynamo Cameo "Appearance" Parnell.
  • He is also trying to score (points) with earthbound tennis-playing goddess Caroline Richardson.
  • He is fighting a losing battle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
  • He rocks a touché array of pop-culture references, jokes, and puns.
  • His family life cookie is about to crumble.
Root for Jay as he exchanges ego-blows with his mortal enemy, gets awkward around his dream girl(s), loses his marbles in a Bermudian love triangle, watches his parents' relationship implode, and, finally, learns to keep it real and be himself(ish).

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  • This item: The Edumacation of Jay Baker (Christy Ottaviano Books) by Jay Clark Hardcover

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Edumacation of Jay Baker has something for everyone, and hopefully you'll emerge smarter for having read it."--Teenreads.com

"I don't remember the last time I laughed out loud so often while reading a book."--Mundie Moms Blog 

“Readers eager to give both their hearts and their brains an energetic work-out will enjoy this mash-up…”--BCCB
 
“Jay’s smarts, originality, and warmth make the old teen trope of the hot girl(s) falling for the doofus guy actually believable.”--Booklist, Starred Review

About the Author

The Edumacation of Jay Baker is the debut young adult novel of . . . none other than Jay Clark. A tennis enthusiast and former teaching pro, Jay's essays and articles have appeared in The Washington Post and Tennis Magazine. 

Until recently, Jay resided in Columbus, Ohio, in a condo owned by his sister, paying his post-grad dues at various lame jobs for zero financial gain. He did hold a gym membership during this dead-end tenure, albeit by masquerading as his sister's "husband" on her corporate account. Jay now lives in Virginia with his girlfriend, Caroline Baker, whom he met through a tennis blog (long story). Things are looking up.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (January 31, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0805092560
  • ISBN-13: 978-0805092561
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #649,707 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Jay Clark Page
Jay Clark
The Edumacation of Jay Baker is the debut young adult novel of ... none other than Jay Clark. A tennis enthusiast and former teaching pro, Jay's essays and articles have appeared in The Washington Post and Tennis Magazine.

Until recently, Jay resided in Columbus, Ohio, in a condo owned by his sister, paying his post-grad dues at various lame jobs for zero financial gain. He did hold a gym membership during this dead-end tenure, albeit by masquerading as his sister's "husband" on her corporate account. Jay now lives in Virginia with his girlfriend, Caroline Baker, whom he met through a tennis blog (long story). Things are looking up.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
I don't even want to think about how long it's been since I was this kid's age. Even my own child is long past this age. But anyone with any memories of those marvelous (?) tween and teen years will find so much to identify with and laugh at here. Another reviewer compared the author to Chelsea Handler, but not quite so inappropriate, and I agree wholeheartedly. Written from the view of a 15 year old angst ridden boy with a monumental crush on his best friend, Cameo, and a rapidly growing interest in another beauty, Caroline Richardson. Add in a fractured and falling apart parental unit, mix in irritable bowel syndrome for good measure, and prepare to laugh yourself silly!

I did note that some reviewers felt it the story was either too witty or inapropriate for kids of this age. I have to disagree, and believe that it may be more true to life than some people are willing to accept. I will be waiting for the next book by this talented and hilarious author.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
In many ways, Jay Baker is a typical teenager. He is smart (even if he doesn't realize it); in love with his close friend, Cameo (even if she doesn't realize it); fights with his sister (whom he really loves even if neither one wants to admit it); a bit of a class clown who loves pop culture references, jokes, and puns. In other words, he has basically built an invisible wall around himself, hiding his true feelings from his family and friends - even himself. But that wall is about to come tumbling down as Jay watches his parents' marriage begin to fall apart and he starts looking at his own relationship with his family and friends.

Aimed at readers ages 12 and up, "The Edumacation of Jay Baker" is the nicely done story of a teenager who is just starting to learn who he is and that his friends and family aren't perfect. Writing in the first-person as Jay, author Jay Clark does an excellent job of developing the fictional Jay's character. On the surface, Jay may seem a bit shallow, with all his joking around, but Clark deftly has other characters reveal that Jay is really insecure and putting himself down far too much. What I really like is how Clark captures a typical teenage boy's "voice" - too many young adult books feature characters who talk like they swallow a dictionary. Not Jay - he has a typical teenage vocabulary with current slang (and a swear or two). Clark also does a good job of capturing high school life (you'll cringe every time Jay is called "Gay" Baker) Jay's confusion about his feelings for Cameo (and Caroline) is also nicely done, although Cameo does seem a bit too good to be true at the end. None of the parents (of any of the teens) in the book come off particularly well - this may be because the book is from Jay's point of view (I'd love to know his mother's version of things) - and you can't help but feel sorry for most of the teens (even the "bully"). Perhaps the wisest adult in the book is Jay's teacher, Ms. Lambert, who seems to know exactly what the teens need and how hard to push them and when to back off.

"The Edumacation of Jay Baker" is a book that many young readers will relate to.
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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Edumacate Me... March 7, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Meet Jay Baker - self deprecating, witty, hopelessly in love, and in the midst of his parents' marital crisis. Jay Clark's "The Edumacation of Jay Baker" resonates with anyone who suffered through their teen years and high school's social hierarchy. Between the list of clever track song titles which become chapter titles to the "Suggested Playah-List" which provides the titles of the actual songs lies a hilarious work of fiction.

Anyone who was not one of the "cool kids" in high school will be able to identify with some character. Anyone who was pressured by a parent to perform; anyone who came from a dysfunctional family; and anyone for whom a teacher went the extra mile will see something in "The Edumacation of Jay Baker." Jay Clark captures what it means to be a teen today and reminds adults of feelings they had long ago.

Written without "dumbing down" the text or ideas contained throughout, "The Edumacation of Jay Baker" is realistic. In order to tell the story, it does not resort to sensational language or description. Situations are those encountered daily by the target audience and are not depicted in an offensive manner.

I found myself laughing aloud as I read this book from cover-to-cover in one sitting. Everyone from `tween to senior citizen will be entertained by the fine writing in Jay Clark's "The Edumacation of Jay Baker." Five stars!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not so funny and not appropriate for 14 year olds
The typical school shenanigans are on fully display here as you follow Jay Baker through his life. There are some funny moments but the pop-culture references are so abundant that... Read more
Published 3 days ago by HardyBoy64
READ THIS BOOK, NOW!!
If you have ever been in high school, this is a must read. I loved every page of this cleverly written novel. Cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel!
Published 10 days ago by shamrockgwen
Humorous, enlightening and fun, great effort for a new writer.
I was very impressed with this effort by a newly published writer. I found it very refreshing to see a teenage character developed in such a humorous manner. Mr. Read more
Published 20 days ago by Michael Krouse
Three and a half Stars: A witty tale of a teenage boy coping with...
Jay is a freshman dealing with the typical angst that plagues teenage boys. Raging hormones, unrequited feelings for his best friend, bully problems, and all the awkwardness that... Read more
Published 22 days ago by Heidi
A Teen Book That Most Can Relate To
The book is about a young teen boy that is learning to deal with life's difficulties through an array of sarcastic symbolism's of each person he comes in contact with. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Squeekloud
Great Read!
The Edumacation of Jay Baker was absolutely hilarious. From start to finish all the characters were so real and I could see my family acting and saying the same things. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Rod Joseph
Great for Teenage Boys!
This book is written in first person from Jay's point of view and the author is spot-on! The way he talks, thinks, and interacts with his parents, sister, and best friend (who he's... Read more
Published 1 month ago by M. Rodriguez
Entertaining!
It made me laugh and it made me cry. This book has characters and situations everyone can identify with and is a touching and entertaining story of adolescent struggle.
Published 1 month ago by Rosalind Reeder
In one word....hilarious
From the moment I picked this book up, until the last page, I was laughing; even in the parts that were more serious I still got a chuckle. Read more
Published 1 month ago by H. R. Rikard
Delightful...definitely not just for teenage readers
This should delight both teens and adults. For adults, it's a vastly entertaining coming-of-age story. And teens should easily identify with it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Neal C. Reynolds
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