Wednesday, May 26, 2010

"Elliot Allagosh" by Simon Rich


Author Simon Rich is basically your prototypical author for an angsty, tongue-in-cheek book about high school. He's young, talented, and one of the snarky writers on Saturday Night Live. Naturally, Elliot Allagosh would resonate with anyone from a sixteen-year-old video game nerd to a reminiscing adult.

Seymour Herson opens his narration with a bleak glimpse into his life as an eighth grader at a NYC private school. He's chubby, a social outcast, and has recently been dubbed with the unflattering nickname "Chunk-Style." However, this somewhat cliched portrait of middle school angst is quickly interrupted by the arrival of the impossibly rich, incredibly eccentric (especially for a 13-year-old!) boy named Elliot Allagosh.

Elliot loves a challenge, and transforming the school pariah into the class president seems like a great way to pass his time. What ensues could have been a Cinderella-type story with a touch of after-school special, but Rich keeps the story funny and wonderfully fresh. My favorite parts were stories told by Elliot's father, who has never worked a day in his life and loves to find creative ways to use the billions of dollars in his bank account.

The story does, however, have a great deal of heart: Seymour learns the inevitable (popularity through lying, cheating, etc. does not guarantee happiness) and, during his senior year of high school, gets a much-needed waking up call. Elliot is a delightful con man, intriguingly neurotic and complex--you'll be reminded of a puppeteer crazed with boredom, tugging at the strings of his marionettes.

Beth gives it five out of five carrots!

Click here to buy this book at The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop!

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls by Rachel Simmons

This is kind of a retroactive blog post, but with bullying in the news so much these days, this book has not left my mind. Odd Girl Out is a meticulously researched book, packed with interviews with real preteen and teenage girls. Oftentimes, parents don't realize the true extent of their daughters' struggles in school--girls can be especially adept at hiding that pain. This book focuses on the notion that, while boys take out their aggression in physical ways (i.e., a fight), girls fight a psychological battle that can last years. Girls can be shunned, teased, and publicly humiliated with horrible rumors. You'll be amazed at the cruelty Simmons has uncovered through her interviews. Simmons' dappling in social psychology manages to be informative while not overbearing, making this book accessible for all ages.

Simmons pairs this look into the world of bullying with realistic advice for both young girls and their parents. (Yes, despite what the quote on the cover says, dads can benefit from reading this too.) A book like this is especially crucial in this day and age, where constant texting, Facebook, Myspace and Twitter make "cyber bullying" a hot-button issue.

Beth gives it five out of five carrots!
Click here to order this book at The Velveteen Rabbit Bookshop.