It's not like I meant for him to get hurt. . . .
Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.
Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, Twerp shines with humor and heart. This remarkably powerful story will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters.
Praise for Twerp:
A Bankstreet Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Summer Top Ten Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
“Reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. . . . You don’t have to be a twerp to read this book.” —New York Post
“A vivid, absorbing story about one boy’s misadventure, heartache, and hope for himself.” —Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of When You Reach Me
“Mark Goldblatt is an amazingly wonderful writer.” —Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library
“[Fans of] Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid who have matured beyond the scope and gravity of that series will find a kindred spirit in Julian.” —School Library Journal
“Reminiscent of movies like The Sandlot. . . . Well-written and funny.” —The Advocate
“Alternately poignant and comical. . . . A thought-provoking exploration of bullying, personal integrity and self-acceptance.” —Kirkus Reviews
“A timely book.” —New York Journal of Books
“Elegant in its simplicity and accessibility.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“An empathetic and authentic glimpse into the mind of a sixth-grade boy.” —The Florida Times-Union
“Funny, poignant, and an effective commentary on bullying and its consequences.” —The Horn Book Magazine
- Used Book in Good Condition
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Twerp
By K. Branfield
Mark Goldblatt's Twerp is an engaging coming of age story that is witty and thought-provoking. Although categorized as young adult fiction, this charming novel will resonate with readers of all ages.Julian Twerski really loathes Shakespeare, so when his sixth grade English teacher Mr. Selkirk offers him to let him keep a journal in lieu of writing a report on Julius Caesar, Julian eagerly agrees. Of course Mr. Selkirk has an ulterior motive: he wants Julian to write about the incident that resulted in a school suspension for Julian and his friends. Instead of writing about what happened to Danley Dimmel, Julian gives a pretty captivating account of the various exploits that he and his friends engage in the last six months of the school year.Set in 1969 New York, Twerp fully captures the freedom experienced by children in that time period. With no cell phones or video games, Julian and his friends are free to roam their neighborhoods with little parental supervision. Their boredom often leads to some creative adventures that sometimes end with disastrous results. In journaling his various escapades, Julian often gains valuable insight about the consequences of their actions.Julian does an excellent job deflecting Mr. Selkirk's (and the reader's) attention away from Danley Dimmel and the events leading up to Julian's suspension from school. Julian makes brief references to both Danley and the suspension, but he never gives away any details about what happened. This build-up to the final revelation in the journal is crucial to the novel's resolution and everyone's patience is well rewarded in the end.Twerp is an entertaining and fascinating novel about adolescence and friendship. Mark Goldblatt's humorous look into the inner working of a child's mind is as illuminating as it is amusing. As the mother of two sons, I can attest to the authenticity of both the characters and the crazy situations they find themselves in.A wonderful story that teaches some pretty valuable lessons, I highly recommend Twerp to readers of all ages.I received a complimentary copy for review.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.Perfect Coming Of Age
By Valerie A. Baute
Free ARC provided by NetGalleyJulian Twerski is at that awkward age where he is trying to define himself. He is a boy growing up in the Sixties. He is the fastest runner at his school. He is a follower, mostly to his best friend Lonnie. He is smart. Sure, his friends might make fun of his intelligence, but his teachers appreciate it, especially Mr. Selkirk. That is why he is allowing him to write a paper about himself instead of about Shakespeare. Mr. Selkirk might also want to see if Julian will tell the story of what happened to Danley, the reason why Julian was suspended. Can Julian learn to think for himself instead of letting Lonnie tell him what to do, and will he lose a friendship because of it, and what is the big secret that got them all in so much trouble?This coming-of-age story is told in an unexpected way, as a paper written to his teacher. It really works here too. I was quite a few of Julian's stories into the book before I even remembered that this was a paper, and there was a reason he was asked to write it. The point of the assignment was brought up just enough to keep me guessing and wanting to know what he got in trouble for. Before that is finally explained, what you have is a story of a typical 6th grade boy getting into trouble. I am nowhere near a 6th grader or a boy, but I still found the stories very interesting. I loved really getting to know Julian and his gang of friends.I mentioned that this story was set in the Sixties. That was another part that I kept forgetting. There were definite references that put it in that era, but the story could have been about any 6th grade boy at any time in history. I believe that makes the book even better, something many kids will be able to relate to. An entertaining and heartfelt read for middle grade kids.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Twerp
By M. Tanenbaum
Julian Twerski (AKA Twerp) doesn't think of himself as a bully. But after he's suspended for his involvement in a bullying incident, his English teacher asks him to keep a journal, hoping he'll open up on paper about what really happened (and also giving a framework for this book). Julian sees the journal as a great way to get out of writing a paper on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, since he HATES Shakespeare with a passion. The journal turns into a diary of Julia's sixth grade life in 1969 Queens, in which he examines his friendships with neighborhood boys, has crushes on girls, and muses on all the terrible things he's ever done--all except what happened to Danley Dimmel, the victim of his bullying that's at the root of the journal. There's plenty of comedy in this breezy novel, including a subplot where Julian writes a love letter for his tongue-tied best friend (shades of Cyrano de Bergerac) with predictably disastrous and hilarious results. But there's also a serious thread to the novel, with its examination of bullying, why it happened, and what Julian does to try to deal with his guilt over the situation. Well worth reading, particularly for middle school aged kids. Although the novel is set in 1969, it could just as easily take place now (except there's an absence of cell phones, texting, computers, and other high-tech facets of modern life). The author's voice reminded me of Gary Schmidt's Wednesday War novel, which takes place around the same time.
