Zen And The Art Of Faking It [Mass Market Paperback]

Jordan Sonnenblick (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2010

From masterfully funny and poignant Jordan Sonnenblick, a story that will have everyone searching for their inner Zen.

When eighth-grader San Lee moves to a new town and a new school for the umpteenth time, he doesn't try to make new friends or be a loner or play cool. Instead he sits back and devises a plan to be totally different. When he accidentally answers too many questions in World History on Zen (only because he just had Ancient Religions two schools ago) all heads turn and San has his answer: he's a Zen Master. And just when he thinks everyone (including the cute girl he can't stop thinking about) is on to him, everyone believes him . . . in a major Zen way.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jordan Sonnenblick has always been fascinated by Zen Buddhism and the practice of meditation. However, he has never actually been able to meditate due to his well-documented lifelong inability to sit still or be quiet. He lives with his serene wife and two half-wiggly, half-calm kids in Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (January 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043983709X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439837095
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #277,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Here's my bio from the paperback version of _Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie_:

"Jordan Sonnenblick attended amazing schools in New York City. Then he went to an incredible Ivy League university and studied very, very hard there. However, due to his careful and well-planned course selection strategies, he emerged in 1991 with a fancy-looking diploma and a breathtaking lack of real-world skills or employability.

Thank goodness for Teach for America, a program which takes new college graduates, puts them through 'teacher boot camp', and places them in teaching positions at schools in teacher shortage areas around the country. Through TFA, Mr. Sonnenblick found his place in the grown-up world, teaching adolescents about the wonders and joys, the truth and beauty, of literature.

Mr. Sonnenblick always wanted to be a writer, too, so one day in 2003 he started in on the book that became Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie. This book was inspired by several aspects of the author's real life: like Steven, the main character in the novel, he really plays the drums, he really went through an incredibly awkward year when he was 13, and he really was completely spastic around girls until right around his 21st birthday. The made-up parts of the book are all reflections of the author's basic philosophy, which is that the world is a tough place, so you'd better be kind and laugh a lot.

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie was published by Scholastic Press in 2005 to great acclaim, and was named to several Best of 2005 lists, including the ALA's Teens' Top Ten.

In October 2006, Scholastic will release Mr. Sonnenblick's second novel, Notes from the Midnight Driver, which is about drunk driving, lawn gnomes, divorced parents, a unique old man, and a beautiful girl with deadly hobbies.

Mr. Sonnenblick lives in Bethlehem, PA with the most supportive wife and lovable children he could ever imagine. Plus a lot of drums and guitars in the basement."

I think that pretty much sums it up.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, October 10, 2007

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Zen And The Art Of Faking It (Hardcover)

Author Jordan Sonnenblick has done it again. ZEN AND THE ART OF FAKING IT gets the up and downs and total frustration of being a teen just right.

San Lee's life has been full of new towns and new schools, but this one upsets him more than all of the others combined. This time, instead of having his dad uproot the family in search of his latest scheme, it is just San and his mother because his dad is in prison.

Not particularly successful at anything in the past, San has frequently used negative behavior to get attention. Being Oriental and adopted by a white couple has not always made things easy. Now with his father serving time for his shady business dealings, San finds himself feeling the need to get things right this time.

Faced with not only a new school and trying to fit in, but also with Wednesday night phone calls from a convict father he never wants to talk to again, San is ready to try just about anything. With his mother working long hours to make ends meet, he decides he needs a gimmick to win some friends and positively influence some people. Thanks to his new social studies teacher, the door to Zen Buddhism opens wide.

San's well-worn clothes and tattered sandals become a great disguise as he steps into his role as the Zen expert of the eighth grade. With help from the local library, the perfect "meditation" rock right outside school, and his new friend, Woody, San fools everyone into believing his Buddhist philosophy. Although he seems to be fitting in and gaining popularity, he worries that faking it may make him like the father he has learned to detest.

Sonnenblick uses his humorous, straight-forward style to grab readers on page one, and whisk them into San's world. There are crazy antics, a touch of romance, family frustrations, and quite a bit of Buddhist information packed into this fast-paced read. If you haven't read Sonnenblick's other books, be sure to check out Drums, Girls, And Dangerous Pie and Notes From The Midnight Driver.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this book rocks, October 6, 2007

By 

Susane Colasanti "teen book author" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zen And The Art Of Faking It (Hardcover)

You know how some people are just naturally hilarious? Jordan Sonnenblick is one of those people. ZEN is an awesome book, containing most excellent dialogue and a plot that will keep you up very late, reading until your eyes hurt to find out what happens next.

This is the story of San Lee, new kid, who's trying to fit in by...well, not exactly being himself. We love San right from the start. Like the rest of us, he has baggage to deal with and family issues and someone special in his life he's trying to impress, and we're sympathetic to his struggles. You'll love how San changes as his confidence grows. And the Zen bits are really fun.

Read it. Love it. Pass it on.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read/Listen, July 4, 2010

By 

Jordan (Lanham, MD, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Zen And The Art Of Faking It (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to say I loved this book. It was so great and well written. It may seem odd but I am in my late 30's and I got this book and just had to giggle and loved it. It is enjoyable for every generation and brought back the angst of junior high and trying to fit in and made me realize that it never really fades. The author does an incredible job telling a story and captivating the characters. I highly recommend this book to readers/listeners of all ages.