Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff (Hardcover)

by Jennifer L. Holm (Author), Elicia Castaldi (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5–7—Ginny Davis begins seventh grade with a list of items to accomplish. This list, along with lots of other "stuff"—including diary entries, refrigerator notes, cards from Grandpa, and IM screen messages—convey a year full of ups and downs. Digitally rendered collage illustrations realistically depict the various means of communication, and the story flows easily from one colorful page to the next. Ginny is fairly typical—she wants to look good for her school picture but ends up with a hair disaster the night before. She babysits but can't seem to increase her bank balance. She has problems with friends, boys, and clothes. But readers also learn about some deeper issues. She has a hard time adjusting to a new stepfather, and her older brother has difficulties with alcohol and poor behavior choices. Ginny's pain is expressed through report card grades that drop to Cs and hall passes to the school counselor. However, the year ends on a high note as she discovers a talent for art and gets asked to the Spring Fling. The story combines honesty and humor to create a believable and appealing voice. Not quite a graphic novel but not a traditional narrative either, Holm's creative book should hook readers, especially girls who want something out of the ordinary.—Diana Pierce, Running Brushy Middle School, Cedar Park, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Description
Ginny has ten items on her big to-do list for seventh grade. None of them, however, include accidentally turning her hair pink. Or getting sent to detention for throwing frogs in class. Or losing the lead role in the ballet recital to her ex-best friend. Or the thousand other things that can go wrong between September and June. But it looks like it's shaping up to be that kind of a year! Here's the story of one girl's worst school year ever -- told completely through her stuff.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Ginee Seo Books (July 24, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689852819
• ISBN-13: 978-0689852817
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #34,429 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really good book!, August 11, 2007

A Kid's Review

I'm 10 years old and I thought the book was great! I read it in only one day. What I like best about the book was that it wasn't like a regular book but was done like a scrapbook. Each page had pictures and writing, it was really fun. I would recommend this book for anyone ages 9-13 years old.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Innovative and truly touching....., September 27, 2007

By	Learning All The Time "It's Never Too Late to... (USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

I cannot even begin to tell you how skeptical I was about the idea of a story being told through stuff. I couldn't imagine how you could tell a coherent story this way, let alone tell a moving story that actually says something meaningful.

But this book really works. I actually cried in a few places (okay I'm sentimental by nature but I think this story would bring a lump to a few people's throats). It was amazing how characters' personalities were revealed by to-do lists, drug store receipts, English assignments, journal entries, comic strips, and the like.

And the plot unfolds quite effectively with "stuff". For example, second on Ginny's to-do list that opens the book is to get the role of the Sugarplum Fairy in the Nutcracker, so you know how much Ginny wants the role. Later on in the book you see the casting list, and on the next page you see a journal entry lamenting her stepfather's forgetfulness, and you easily connect the dots for that plotline.

There was another page with a physician's report, and it says Ginny is normal and healthy, except for a very curious allergy to milk that is treated with allergy shots as needed. This was very curious to me, as my daughter has a milk allergy and she can't have one drop or she gets anaphylaxis, plus food allergies traditionally are not treated with allergy shots. I chalked it up to a mistake on the part of the author, but I was so very wrong, there is a stunning explanation for Ginny's allergy that is revealed in an English assignment further on in the book.

Anyway, this is such a hilarious and beautiful story, about the resiliency and spirit that early adolescents have, in spite of things that always seem to go wrong.

I am so glad I put aside my doubts and read this amazing story. I'm looking forward to the day I can hand it to my daughter to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in the inner life of middle school girls...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A unique style of illustration, September 3, 2007

By	J. Maselli "bookchick" (RI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff

As a reading specialist for Grades 6-8, I was so pleased to read a book that my struggling readers can actually "get through"! The illustrator, Elicia Castaldi, has such a fresh take on how a book can be read. The "artifacts" make the book so appealing to kids. I am sure it will be a hit with middle schoolers and teachers alike. It is really nice to know that this high-interest book has a readability level for all adolescents. I think this is a "novel" idea! Highly recommended!