Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me [Hardcover]

Lisa Papademitriou (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 2005 | Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Stealth Freakies \stelth freekees\ 1: A feeling that comes before dread, ie, when you just feel a little sick, before you realize that anything is wrong, or that your whole life is about to change, or something else equally bad.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7–Allie Kimball is starting Grover Cleveland Middle School, and nothing is the same as it was in elementary school. Her friend Tamara is making her feel like a "nork" (someone beyond both nerd and dork, in Allie's hilarious vocabulary notes) for being overly unconcerned about her clothes and messy room. Worse yet, Tamara is turning into a "glommer" (a clingy friend) to stuck-up Renee, and making fun of Allie's soccer mates. Allie slowly begins to realize that she has changed too, even in how she feels about her longtime crush and other boys whom she formerly found dorky. This story is a hoot, full of real kinds of middle school misadventures centered around a protagonist who has a kind heart and a tremendous gift for descriptive language. She's willing to look up meanings for words teachers give her, but sometimes she has a meaning and needs to make up a word to fit it, so each chapter includes her relevant gems. She could start a new trend with "stealth freakies" ("a feeling that comes before dread..."), and "road chicken" ("someone who can't decide which side to be on, and ends up standing in the middle of the road...which is, of course, where the cars are"). Funny and appealing.–Paula J. LaRue, Van Wert City Schools, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. Allie Kimball is a little intimidated about starting middle school, especially since she will be going to a magnet school for smart kids rather than to her neighborhood school. Best friend Tamara is not much help, especially when former friend Renee inserts herself between Allie and Tamara, encouraging Tamara to try out for cheerleading rather than soccer with Allie. Predictable misunderstandings, cat fights, and dirty tricks ensue, resulting in hurt feelings and, eventually, a greater understanding of what really counts in life. Papademetriou's strength lies in her well-tuned ear for middle-school dialogue and understanding of preteen concerns. Allie and her friends may be shallow and annoying, but they are also people whom readers will easily recognize. The addition of invented slang with definitions ("nork: a combination of nerd and dork") adds to the appeal. Funny and poignant by turns, this will attract readers getting ready to leave elementary school behind. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (May 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786851694
• ISBN-13: 978-0786851690
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,652,617 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Lisa Papademetriou is the author of Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me (named one of the Best Books of 2005 by FamilyFun.com ) and co-author (with Chris Tebbetts) of M or F? She has written and/ or adapted over thirty books for children and young adults, including titles in the Lizzie McGuire, That s So Raven, Kim Possible, and Sweet Valley High Senior Year book series. She lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, with her husband, where she enjoys quilting, dancing around the house to eighties music, playing the guitar (badly), and drinking large amounts of coffee. Her next book, The Wizard, the Witch, and Two Girls from Jersey will be published in May 2006.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Power to the Norks!, June 7, 2005

By 

Kieran Scott (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me (Hardcover)

This book was SO refreshing. It perfectly depicts what it's like for a young teen when old friends start branching out and new friends start making their way into your heart. This book TOTALLY made its way into mine. Plus, it's HILARIOUS and SO creative. Like nothing else out there. A great read for any kid who's starting a new school. Actually, a great read for ANY kid, full stop!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read this book, January 15, 2007

By 

Nicki P "Nicki P" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me (Paperback)

By Nicki P.

My book is called Sixth Grade Glommers, Norks, and me. It is written by Lisa Papademetriou. Allie, a sixth grader tells the story, and it's about how she and her best friend Tam start becoming friends with certain people in 6th grade. The main conflict for Allie is whom she could fit in with in the new middle school. When Allie makes the soccer team she meets up with new people. Tam gets on the cheer squad with Renee and Allie felt left out. Renee gets mean, and Allie expects Tam to stand up to Renee but she doesn't. Allie calls them glommers because they always glom on to each other. She also meets up with Orren, a really smart but geeky guy who Allie calls a nork (combination nerd and dork). The conflict is between Allie and herself while she decides where she fits.

I thought it was really exciting and fun to read. I liked that there was so much information that kept combining on top of each other. I felt like I was in the part about friendship because I had a really good friend who would either really want to be with you or not want to be with you. Now I also made a lot of new friends just like Allie. That's why the main conflict kept my attention. The characters were realistic because that's normal life situations. At the end I felt proud of Allie when she says, "I was happy just to be Allie Kimball! My own me. Unique, but not alone. Not alone at all."

The author had the way of understanding how 6th grade girls can go up and down and happy and sad. The story is told by Allie. The author makes up words you never heard of like nonshocker, glommers, norks, dweebosaurus, predorka ment, and precooliar. I thought the writing was really descriptive, like "squiggly at the edges and full of weird-looking blobs." Another example is, "It looked more like a long twisty pine cone, or a gnarled tree limb covered with rough bark." That's a description of Orren's hair.

I think this book is a 9 out of 10 because if you are having trouble finding relationships, read this book. It might help you see what kind of friends to make when you go to a new school like a middle school. I would recommend this book to any girl leaving elementary school and worrying how to make new friends.

The new vocabulary Allie makes up and put at the heading of each new chapter is really funny. My favorite example is "Jockissima" which Allie says is an excellent female athlete like me.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glommers, Norks, and One Amazing Book!, June 6, 2005

By 

BostonBookie (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sixth-Grade Glommers, Norks, and Me (Hardcover)

I gobbled up Sixth-Grade Glommers in one night! Ha-de-ha, loved the definitions, but it was my need to smack Tam upside the head and give Allie a huge hug that kept me rolling through the pages so merrily. Will those Dad issues--noogies to him--be addressed in a sequel?