Probably Still Nick Swansen [Hardcover]

Virginia Euwer Wolff (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up

"A unusual, compassionate story about a high-school student in a Special Ed calss. . . . The brilliance of Wolff's book is that she never preaches. Upbeat, honest, and not without humor, it echoes with the mood swings that most teenagers share."--School Library Journal. IRA Children's Book Award; International PEN Children's Book Award; Booklist Best of the 1980s.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10 A strong, compassionate story about a student with minimal brain dysfunction. While all 16 year olds have problems, Nick Swansen's are unique: they involve his identity outside the Special Education classroom and coming to terms with the accidental death of his sister, Dianne, seven years earlier. Told from his viewpoint, the story follows the events of several seminal weeks in Nick's maturing. Readers come to identify strongly with him and with Shana, another Special Ed. student who has ``gone up'' to the regular classes. The parents of both students provide a revealing contrast: Nick's are warm and understanding, Shana's stumbling and confused. The brilliance in Wolff's book is that she never preaches: rather, through a series of involving events and through characterizations that are consistently sympathetic, she draws readers into Nick's life. Unlike many books that deal with disabilities, Wolff's story stresses the similarities between Nick and other teens rather than highlighting the differences. Constance A. Mellon, Department of Library & Information Studies, East Carolina Univ., Greenville, N.C.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holth & Co (J); 1st edition (November 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805007016
• ISBN-13: 978-0805007015
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,379,715 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Probably Still Nick Swansen by Virginia Euwer Wolff, November 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Probably Still Nick Swansen: A Novel (Point) (Paperback)

Review By: Mr.Francesco Galardo

This book is about a "Special ed" student who goes through a rough period of time in his life. His name is Nick Swansen and he knows that he is special ed student. One day he decides to ask out a fellow classmate Shana to the prom. The thing is special ed kids don't go to proms. Shana had recently graduated from being in the class with Nick to a regular high school ciriculum. Nick asks out Shana anyways. Nick does a lot to make everything work out for the prom but that night everything went downhill from there. Shana doesn't show up the whole night or even call Nick to let him know she wouldn't make it. Nick started to have bad dreams again of his sister's death nine years ago and doesn't go to school for a few days. Nick was doing a report on amphibians for his end of the year project. After a while, he feels up to talking to Shana again after she stood him up. She puts a few things together on how Nick likes amphibians and knows so much about them. You'll soon see how everything comes together with Nick and he can finally put all his thoughts troubling him to rest.

Some literly elements used in the book were:

Suspense-the book kept you waiting for more and willing to know what will happen next.

Mood-the book really expresses on how charcters feel throughout the story.

Personification-Nick sometimes gives certain human attributes to things that are not human.

Overall I'd say this book was a great book. I liked it because it related a lot on how teens deal with problems today and how some overcome their differences to figure out solutions. There was only one flaw and that was there were intentional spelling and grammar errors that corresponded to Nick's vocabulary. The book isn't in his pint of view. You should read this book because it's easy reading and it's a good book to learn a lot from and relate to a lot of your own experiances.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I would make it assigned reading!, December 9, 2000

By 

Julia Walter (Cobleskill, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Probably Still Nick Swansen: A Novel (Point) (Paperback)

But I'm not a teacher, not yet, only a teaching assistant and in graduate school to get a teaching credential in special ed. A few things have changed in the field since Wolff published this in 1988, but the fundamental truth is there. However, if I were a teacher I would assign this book to struggling readers in a heartbeat. In fact, it'd probably even be more useful for "regular" kids. The cover of my copy reads: "Nick has a problem./ No... problems." How he deals with his problems should be instructive to everybody. Much more instructive than To Kill a Mockingbird, in my opinion.

4.0 out of 5 stars Realistic portrayal of young adult problems, September 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Probably Still Nick Swansen (Hardcover)

Provides a very real view of the world associated with special education and how the problems faced by these children are no different then any other adolesent. Only the way to the solution is somewhat different.