The Schwa Was Here

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman. 2004/2006 reissue.
Audience: 6-10th Grade; Ages 11-15
My Rating: 4.5*s of 5
Summary: A Brooklyn eighth-grader nicknamed Antsy befriends the Schwa, an "invisible-ish" boy who is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone.

Comments: Antsy wins me over again. He is a delightful and fun narrator who Shusterman told me (eeeee!) is based on "his alter ego...a kid who says out loud everything [Neal] wanted to but couldn't." As with Antsy Does Time, death/loss is dealt with in a humourous, but never mocking way. I read the two Antsy stories out of order and they stood alone very nicely.

Awards: Lone Star list 2006, lots of journal lists
Read-alikes: Antsy Does Time by Shusterman and according to the author, eventually Antsy Floats (to feature another gramatical charcter...Tilda)

Antsy Does Time by Shusterman

Antsy Does Time by Neal Shusterman. 2008.

Audience: 6-10 Grade; Ages 11-13

My Rating: 4.5*s of 5

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Anthony "Antsy" Bonano learns about life, death, and a lot more when he tries to help a friend with a terminal illness feel hopeful about the future.

Comments: A laugh out loud funny story with very real characters. Shusterman reading with his Brooklyn accent is perfect. The turn for the poignant toward the end of the book adds just enough weight to balance the laughs and is dished out in just the right portion--the perfect dessert to the meal that is this story. I especially appreciate the portrayal of Kjersten. As the "pretty girl" love interest her character is rounded out with flaws, neurosis, and motivation.

Awards: Lone Star List 2009-2010

Read-alikes: The Schwa was Here by Shusterman