The Haole Substitute [Paperback]

Walt Novak (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Scientific American

Novak's The Haole Substitute combines autobiography with fiction and satire to describe the experiences of a surfer flung into the public school system as a greenhorn substitute teacher...The problems that Novak's novel so vividly depicts are not restricted to Hawaiian schools, change the settings and characters, and the same incidents have occurred in Baton Rouge Schools.

From The New Yorker

There's no substitute for a sense of humor. Teacher-surfer-author Walt Novak hopes folks who read his book can laugh at themselves...Novak blows the lid off Hawaii's racial harmony. And he really hopes nobody's mad about it.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Cypress House; 1st edition (August 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879384191
• ISBN-13: 978-1879384194
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,000,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fasinating story of a young teacher's first year., November 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Haole Substitute (Paperback)

This was an entertaining look at the first year of a young teacher in a new culture. It uses humor to make the hardships he faced bearable. Novak has a wonderful ability to use simple language to convey complex situations. He shows that even though we have different cultures and values, basically we share a lot of similarities. I'm looking forward to a great movie!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone who's drempt of teaching, September 14, 2001

By 

Mr. Van (San Jose, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Haole Substitute (Paperback)

I had wasted away 5 primetime years (21-26) of my life working in "Corporate America" always dreaming of teaching. A surfer buddy of mine suggested I pick up "The Haole Substitute" by Walt Novak. Novak's book gave me the push to go back to school, finish up my California teaching credential and I am now teaching High School outside of Santa Cruz, CA, coaching the mighty Warriors of Westmont High baseball team and spending my summers surfing up and down the California coast. A must read for people looking to live to work rather than work to live. Thanks Walt!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat exagerrated look at Hawaii public schools, January 5, 2002

By 

"nomopakalolo" (Baton Rouge, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Haole Substitute (Paperback)

Hawaii has often been referred to as a melting pot... but as this book bluntly illustrates it's not utopia. Kids will be kids and acts that would be unthinkable to most adults occur on a daily basis in a public school somewhere on Oahu. I speak from my own experience as a high school student in leeward Oahu.

It doesn't take a new student from the mainland long to learn what a haole is.. especially if that is the ethnic category he falls into... and I went to one of the better public schools in the state. However, I think it is important to remember that this is a book about children and being read by adults, who being adults will try to rationalize a child's act without remembering that children often need little or no reason to behave in a rebellious manner.. they just need to believe they can get away with it and that it will help them acheive respect from their peers. Children don't feel the need to be tactful in getting what they want.. so absent of any effective deterrent they will act out by whatever means necessary including physical and verbal assault. Finally, children (as was my case) often have no control over where they live and attend school and are dependents of their parents.... school is often the only place children feel they can assert their independence and act out. It definitely made me much more aware of my surroundings.. but at the same time they were some of the best years of my life and I have no regrets.