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The Schwa Was Here (Antsy Bonano #1)

by Neal Shusterman (Goodreads Author)

3.95 · rating details · 2,330 ratings · 444 reviews

The Schwa

They say if you stare at him long enough, you can see what’s written on the wall behind him. They say a lot of things about the Schwa, but one thing’s for sure: no one ever noticed him. Except me. My name is Antsy Bonano—and I can tell you what’s true and what’s not, ’cause I was there. I was the one who realized the Schwa was “functionally invisibl...more

Paperback, Puffin Book, 228 pages

Published March 2nd 2006 by Penguin Books

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Community Reviews

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Dec 26, 2007

Patrick rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: novelist-reviews

There's a story I tell in trainings about a high school where teachers were given a list of students and asked to put a gold star next to students they knew. At the end of the day, the result was a classic bell curve: a small group of over-achievers known by all, a larger group of average kids known by some, and a small group known by just about no teacher: that's Calvin Schwa. The Schwa is a human magic trick: he seems to vanish into thin air, that is until Antsy (Anthony, the book's M.C.) and ...more

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May 01, 2008

Colleen rated it

The Schwa was here is a fiction book set in Brooklyn, New York, about a boy named Antsy Bonano, who makes friends with a boy named Calvin Schwa. "The Schwa" as they call him, has an ability to be semi-invisible, or he can passed unnoticed in crowds, he's is sometimes unable to be seen at all, and he seems to slip people's mind when they try to think of him. Throughout the book both Calvin and Antsy struggle with their invisibility: Antsy feels invisible because he is a middle child and...more

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Jul 03, 2011

Jami rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, middle-grades

Now Shusterman's Unwind was edgy and mind-boggling (and terrifying in its premise), but I can't say the writing itself was my favorite. In this book, however, I fell in love with the narrative voice. Shusterman showed great skill in creating a character whose first-person narration painted such a clear image of a smart-alecky, young teenage Italian kid, and I totally bought it.

Not every author has the ability to give his character an accent, slang, and some bad grammar in a believa...more

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Apr 30, 2010

babyhippoface rated it

Shelves: young-adult, listened-via-audiobook

Entirely original concept, as far as I can tell. Anthony "Antsy" Bonano narrates the story of how he met and became friends with Calvin Schwa (called "The Schwa" by everyone). The Schwa is "observationally challenged": no one notices him. Ever. Even if he dresses in costume and wears a bright orange sombrero in the boys' bathroom at school, no one notices. And while that may have some advantages, the disadvantages decidedly outweight them. Calvin needs to be notice...more

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Sep 10, 2008

Katrina rated it

Recommends it for: Middle Schoolers (Freshmen?)

Shelves: juvenille

Very interesting basis for a story. Eighth-grader "Antsy" Bonano recounts how his accidental relationship with three quirky characters winds up being mutually beneficial. The catalyst in this social collision is Calvin Schwa, a classmate who has an almost supernatural knack for going completely unnoticed. When Antsy decides to become an "agent" for the "nearly invisible" Schwa by entertaining wagers on what he can get away with by being able to fly almost entirely ...more

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May 29, 2008

Alex rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Alex by: my middle school librarian

The Schwa was Here was my first book by Neal Shusterman that I read. The librarian at my school recommended it to me, and although I don't usually read recommended books because my list is so long anyways, I was so entertained by the title of chapter one ("Manny Bullpucky Gets His Sorry Butt Hurled Off the Marine Park Bridge") that I stopped what I was doing to investigate further.

The title to chapter one is as dull as this book gets. The narration by Antsy has a lot ...more

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Jun 13, 2010

Emily rated it

Shelves: ya-lit, favorites

The Schwa is definitely the most used and most forgottən vowel in the English language. Not too many sentənces can be created without using ə schwa.

The schwa is a boy named Calvin Schwa whose last name was shortənəd from Schwartz when his grandfather came over frəm Eastern Europe. The Schwa is nearly invisible, he is one əf those people that you jəst don't notice ever.He could be standing right next to you and you wouldn't even notice him. He strəggles with "the Schwa effect"...more

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Nov 30, 2008

Meghan rated it

My sis and I read this and its
AMAZING!!!
Never again will I know a book so cool... unless I read it again hehehehehehe. FabulOUS book FO SHO, recommended to anyone with the ability to read. Love Jessie and Meghan the cooliest and most thorough book reviewers ever!!!

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Feb 05, 2009

Whitney rated it

Recommends it for: Anyone who likes a unique narrative voice, or just anyone in general.

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 04, 2012

Karen Ball rated it

I met Neal Shusterman at the Westport Library's Rabbit Hill Literature festival dinner in October, and he was hilarious! We might be able to get him to come for a visit next spring -- hope so, because he's a phenomenal speaker and has a great sense of humor. That's evident in The Schwa Was Here. Anthony "Antsy" Bonano tells how he discovered Calvin Schwa, a fellow student no one else noticed, because he has an almost supernatural ability to go unnoticed. Antsy and his buddies run s...more

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Jan 21, 2012

Brooke Broadhead rated it

The schwa is the most common and most unappreciated vowel in the English language. Funny, Calvin Schwa is just about the same, so completely common that no one notices him, so unmemorable that you can't even recall meeting him, if he doesn't speak he just blends into the background. A boy who's "observationally challenged" and "socially invisible" seeks to get himself noticed before he fades from existence entirely.

I love this book! In life there are...more

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Nov 23, 2011

Saskia Marijke Niehorster-Cook rated it

Shelves: young-adult

Berend brought this book home. He did a book report for school and Malcolm began reading it too. I picked it up and kept on reading. It is pretty funny. It is about a boy that is hard to see because he blends so well. He is almost invisible. In a way, it is also a mystery because his mom disappeared sometime when he was five and the boy, "Schwa" thinks the universe swallowed her because she was not outstanding, and he fears he will eventually suffer the same destiny. To this, add his n...moreBerend brought this book home. He did a book report for school and Malcolm began reading it too. I picked it up and kept on reading. It is pretty funny. It is about a boy that is hard to see because he blends so well. He is almost invisible. In a way, it is also a mystery because his mom disappeared sometime when he was five and the boy, "Schwa" thinks the universe swallowed her because she was not outstanding, and he fears he will eventually suffer the same destiny. To this, add his new found friend who is trying his best to remember Schwa and help him out. In one of their misadventures, they land in an elderly man's home with a lot of influence and they must walk his dogs each day for several months as penance. The old man has a niece that is blind, though she sees better in many ways than normal seeing people. The dogs are afghans named after all the sins and all the virtues. It is very funny indeed. It is a comedy of errors and misunderstandings and finding friendship and fighting for it. It has a lot of wonderful moments of Laugh out loud punch lines. Very ingenious.

At one point the boy, Anthony or Antsy, is talking to his dad about inviting his friend the Schwa for dinner. His dad asks him 'What is wrong with him". Antsy is not the favorite child in that family and the question has the implication that all his friends must have something wrong with them to be friends of Antsy, but when Antsy asks his dad why he asks that, his dad cleverly says "Something in the tone of your voice implied it". This is later on used again by Antsy to his advantage when the old man asks him to go out on dates with his granddaughter and he will pay him to do so.Very clever dialogues. I just kept on laughing.

Here is a cheeky part: Mom: Why are you so well dressed up? Antsy: A funeral Mom: Who died? Antsy: Your sense of humor!

Mrs.Greenblatt was not blind, but she was extremely nearsighted. I figured she never had laser surgery on her eyes because it would have been physically impossible the Hubble telescope in her cornea, which is what she needed.(less)

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Nov 01, 2011

Steven Kent rated it

Shelves: light-reading, young-adult-kids

I really like Neal Shusterman's work. I prefer the audio versions of his work because I like his reading as well as his writing. He's a good reader. He doesn't have all the voices of a Jonathan Davis or a Frank Muller, but he is an enthusiastic reader who knows his characters. He really bring them to life.

In The Schwa Was Here, there are a trio of very vivid characters to bring to life--Anthony "Antsy" Bonano--the protagonist/narrator, Calvin Schwa--the eponymous "Schwa,...more

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Nov 01, 2011

Steven Kent rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: light-reading, young-adult-kids

I really like Neal Shusterman's work. I prefer the audio versions because I like his reading as well as his writing. He's a good reader. He doesn't have all the voices of a Jonathan Davis or Frank Muller, but he is an enthusiastic reader and he knows his characters enabling him to bring them to life.

In The Schwa Was Here, there are a trio of very vivid characters to bring to life--Anthony "Antsy" Bonano--the protagonist/narrator, Calvin Schwa--the eponymous "Schwa,"...more

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Oct 11, 2011

Ceming Ruan rated it

Dear Reader:

The Schwa is Here is a fiction book, by Neal Shusterman. It is about a boy named Calvin Schwa. What they call him is "The Schwa" as they handout with his friends, they discover Schwa has an ability to be semi-invisible, or he can passed without being noticed in crowds, he's is sometimes unable to be seen at all, and he seems to slip people's mind when they try to think of him. While he is in school, a teacher asked a question and he call out so loud but ...more

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Dec 01, 2010

Lexi rated it

Who or what is the Schwa? Where did “it” come from? Why is it the way it is? Turns out the Schwa A.K.A Calvin is just a normal kid for the most part; that is, if you noticed him enough to get to know him. That’s exactly how Antsy found out about him. Antsy was the first out of his friends, Howie and Ira, to notice the Schwa was tagging along with them one day out of nowhere. Antsy started to wonder… has he always been sneaking around and following us? How come no one has noticed him? Why ...more

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Nov 28, 2010

Rachael Newell rated it

The Schwa Was Here: Book Review
Rachael Newell

Sometimes the things that make an impact on your life the most you don’t notice at first. In this book, Anthony Banano definitely learns that. While trying to blow up his dad’s model with his friends, he finally met the invisible, Calvin Shwa. Testing the Schwa’s invisibility winds them in a whole lot of trouble, and in plenty of community dept. Anthony gains friends looses friends, but as a person learns how important his family...moreThe Schwa Was Here: Book Review
Rachael Newell

Sometimes the things that make an impact on your life the most you don’t notice at first. In this book, Anthony Banano definitely learns that. While trying to blow up his dad’s model with his friends, he finally met the invisible, Calvin Shwa. Testing the Schwa’s invisibility winds them in a whole lot of trouble, and in plenty of community dept. Anthony gains friends looses friends, but as a person learns how important his family and friends are too him. The Shwa and him get close, and learn that bad things can lead to good things; which sometimes lead to another bad thing, and on goes the cycle. But bringing Lexi into both of their lives changed everything, and more. In the end Anthony Banano learns that there is a significant difference between being seen, and being felt.
The characters in this book were inspiring, but plenty of times I couldn’t agree with them. The way they took on their problems most of the time just created more, or they just set them aside and took their time before they dealt with them. That just messes things up between people and their relationships, and you can definitely see that in this book. I liked the way the author described the characters all throughout the book. He made the picture clear and helped me see the people better and appreciate their story. Every character was detailed and dynamic; the images to me were clear and defined. I could see every thing about them and the type of person they were. The personalities of the characters around our age were pretty original and very easy to relate too; which makes it a fun book to read but takes away some of the grasp this book can hold on certain people. The Schwa’s character was very interesting though. He has a different way of handling and seeing things. I like the way he is because he’s really nice and open to everyone he meets. I also like how towards the end he really makes an effort to be noticed and loved by everyone. What bugs me though is that he kind of hops people. He gets way close to a certain person, then when that person gets boring just moves on to another person; in my opinion anyway. Other than that he’s pretty much my favorite character in this book.
After reading this book I definitely will recommend it to plenty of people. I think It really depends on who the type of person it is as to who will actually read it. It’s pretty common interests I think because it’s very contemporary and it relates to almost everyone; around my age. That’s the age group I would most recommend it too. Younger kids wouldn’t really like it because there’s not a lot of things they would understand or get a lot. Plus it doesn’t have a whole lot in there that connects to them and the way they are as younger people. Older people wouldn’t really enjoy it either because again it relates a lot to teenagers. It’s pretty fast moving I guess you could say and it just doesn’t really mean a lot to the older people. Maybe young adults, or teachers that teach teenagers because they want to relate to them I guess. But the people I would mostly recommend it to would be my friends, and people my age and around.
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Nov 19, 2010

Brittany Estrada rated it

The Schwa Was Here

Antsy is a regular teenage boy. He likes to blow thinks up and all that stuff. While he is busy blowing up a mannequin, he feels like someone is watching him. There is no one there. He begins to get a little creeped out but pushes it a side. When they try to find the head to the mannequin, it is floating in mid-air. As the look more closely they see a person. The Schwa. Calvin Schwa is the “invisible man.” To prove his invisibility Antsy and his brothers dress hi...more
The Schwa Was Here

Antsy is a regular teenage boy. He likes to blow thinks up and all that stuff. While he is busy blowing up a mannequin, he feels like someone is watching him. There is no one there. He begins to get a little creeped out but pushes it a side. When they try to find the head to the mannequin, it is floating in mid-air. As the look more closely they see a person. The Schwa. Calvin Schwa is the “invisible man.” To prove his invisibility Antsy and his brothers dress him up in a sombrero and put him in the girls bathroom, put him through airport security with a metal pole in his pocket, etc. Why didn’t people notice him before? This is what they are trying to figure out. As they try more tests to analyze there question, they run into an old man by breaking into his house. The old man makes them walk his dogs for as long as he wants instead of telling the cops. Antsy and Schwa come every day and walk the dogs. Soon comes that his granddaughter comes and tells Antsy he has to go on a date with her. They both fall for her. It is now a battle to see who gets her. Troubles begin and you better read to find out what happens next.

I thought that this book was good. The content was descriptive and I felt like I was in the book at parts and having a good time. At the beginning it takes a minute or two to catch on to what is happening. Isn’t that the case with any book? It had a good way of explaining how things happened. I like how it starts kind of like a journal entry. At first Antsy is still discovering if the Schwa is a good friend or not. Late in the book they are better friends but will the girl tell them apart? I like how it shows different levels of their relationship like in real life. I wouldn’t read the last bit because I thought it didn’t have a good ending. It was a happy ending but I, personally, didn’t like it.

I would rate this book about an 8. I liked it and couldn’t put it down at most parts. It was a good book but I wouldn’t recommend it to kids under 10. Just because they probably wouldn’t get it. It has a lot of good humor and is easy to get it if you understand the joke. I would recommend it to adults because they would get the humor. I would also recommend it to teens around the age of 11 to 17. They will get the humor of the book and the lesson. It is not about what other people think or how they see you. It is about what you think of yourself and how you present that to the world. I would love to read this book again. It is not one of the books that made me want to tread it 50 times in a week but maybe once in a while. It was a good book and I would recommend it to someone who wants a book to read.(less)

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Nov 11, 2010

Sean Mitcham rated it

In the book The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman Antsy is a regular teenage boy who enjoys blowing things up and hanging out with his friends. One day he feels that he is being watched, and turns around to find a kid named Calvin Schwa standing behind him. He becomes friends with the Schwa and learns that the Schwa is “functionally invisible.” People just don’t notice him even if he is right there in the room next to them.
Calvin (The Schwa) and Antsy have many adventures together testing t...moreIn the book The Schwa Was Here by Neal Shusterman Antsy is a regular teenage boy who enjoys blowing things up and hanging out with his friends. One day he feels that he is being watched, and turns around to find a kid named Calvin Schwa standing behind him. He becomes friends with the Schwa and learns that the Schwa is “functionally invisible.” People just don’t notice him even if he is right there in the room next to them.
Calvin (The Schwa) and Antsy have many adventures together testing the schwa effect.
The Schwa Was Here was a well written book that was fun too read. The overall structure of this book was very good, and the pages seem to turn themselves as you read. The book was organized well, you never get entirely lost of confused anywhere, and the plot is clear and driving. The details blend in well with the story, and never stop the plot from moving forward. The ideas in this book may be a little young for some adults though. They may find the book childish or written in a way that does not appeal to them. The side characters may seem to have underdeveloped personalities that make them seen unrealistic of too odd to have a part in the story. The characters that are in the plot have well developed personalities, which adds to the contrast between them and the underdeveloped side characters. The idea behind the story may seem dull or childish to them, and that may distract them from the plot or the book in general. The message that the story sends out may also cause dislike among older readers. One of the other problems that this story has is that there is a lack of a continuing antagonist. The antagonist of the story keeps changing, and towards the end there is a lack of an antagonist entirely. People are not really working against anything. They are mostly working against themselves instead of having and opponent to work against. This takes some of the fun out of reading this book. Kids and young adults however can overlook some of these, which makes this a more enjoyable read for them. The childish writing and underdeveloped characters will not annoy them half as much as it will annoy the adults. They will just enjoy the fun and excitement in the book and not notice the problems. They were probably Shusterman’s target audience.
I would recommend this book to children and young adults, because the theme is for younger people. I would also recommend it to this age group because of the minor mistakes that this age group will care less about. The theme is too young and undeveloped for adults who may find that it lowers the enjoyment value of the book, or they may find it just plain annoying. If I had to rate this book on a scale from one to ten I would give it a seven, because the book was good, but the mistakes were too noticeable
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Aug 22, 2010

Jsinclair rated it

Shelves: yalit-books

LOVE THIS BOOK! This book is great on many levels. The author creatively writes a story based on a character who seems to always get ignored or just pop up out of nowhere (similarly, to the schwa sound in the English language). Shusterman uses description so artistically that I could hear Antsy's mom's Brooklyn accent everytime she talked as well as see exactly where the boys were playing in Queens. So many times I found myself laughing out loud as well as staying up just a little bit longer to ...more

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Apr 18, 2010

Mason Frey rated it

The Schwa Was Here
By: Neal Shusterman
This book takes place in Brooklyn, New York, present time. The main characters are Old Man Crawley, a lonely mysterious man who owns a restaurant in a four story building and lives above it, Lexie, Crawley's blind granddaughter, Calvin Schwa a.k.a The Schwa, an invisible-ish boy, and Antsy, a caring boy trying to help the Schwa.
In this book Antsy meets the Schwa at the river one day and they become friends. The strange thing is that Antsy...more

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Feb 26, 2010

Katie rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Shusterman humorously hooks his readers from the first paragraph. "Because who but a moron would go up to search for Old Man Crawley, who had fingernail like Ginsu knives that could dice, slice, and julienne you, then serve you up in like fourteen thousand plastic dog bowls." (p.1) The story begins with 3 friends who are trying to literally destroy Manny Bullpucky (a plastic "dummy" that is supposedly indestructible). Very appealing to YA's. That's when they first met, Calvin...moreShusterman humorously hooks his readers from the first paragraph. "Because who but a moron would go up to search for Old Man Crawley, who had fingernail like Ginsu knives that could dice, slice, and julienne you, then serve you up in like fourteen thousand plastic dog bowls." (p.1) The story begins with 3 friends who are trying to literally destroy Manny Bullpucky (a plastic "dummy" that is supposedly indestructible). Very appealing to YA's. That's when they first met, Calvin Schwa, who mysteriously seems to blend in with his environment, almost like camoflauge. His name resulted from a bizarre situation when his great-grandpa came over from the "old country" and had a heart attack before he could get his entire name out (Schwartz) and dies on Ellis Island. Then, there is rumors of his mother's mysterious disappearance from the grocery store when Calvin was 5 years old. She literally left him strapped in the shopping cart and disappeared. People can't really see him until he announces that he's there, his father forgets about him all the time, and teachers keep marking him absent. "The thing is, I can't get past the feeling that there's something unnatural about the Schwa. I don't do well with unnatural things. Take spiders, for instance. I mean, sorry, I don't care what anyone says - there can't be anything natural about spinning a web out of your butt." (p.20) There is a definite mystery about him that captivates readers. He's not exactly invisible, but "invisible-ish." After several experiments and dares, one finally leads to Old Man Crawley's place when Schwa is dared to get one of his dog bowls out of the apartment without being seen. He ends up getting caught and Crawley punishes Antsy and Schwa by sentencing them to weeks of walking his 14 dogs (named after the 7 deadly sins and 7 virtues). Eventually, this job changes for Antsy when he pays Antsy to hang out with his grand daughter who is blind, but very confident and assertive. The boys both like over her which causes chaos in their friendship and Antsy learns that "sometimes the little things are the biggest things of all." (p.109). All the characters end up needing each other (and saving each other) in some way throughout the story. Old Man Crawley, though forever grouchy, really does like Antsy and his family and ends up making his dad a partner in his new restaurant. At the end of the story, we find out that Schwa's mother really didn't just disappear, rather she left his father. She has sent letters and made phone calls for years, all of which his father hid from him. Schwa is angry and "doesn't know which is worse - what his mother did, or what his father had done. She left, yes, but he made her disappear." (p.207) Schwa ends up literally disappearing the next day when he goes to FL to find his mother. He ends up traveling the world with her leaving his mark - the upside down e. This is a cute story with a happy ending - it's a story of discovery, the ups and downs of family and friendship, roots, self identity, and LIFE!(less)

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Aug 20, 2009

Brandi rated it

Shelves: lpl-teen-blog, teen

Have you ever met someone who you forget about completely the next day? You couldn't pick him out of a line-up or anything. It's like he was just wiped out of your mind.

Enter Calvin "The Schwa" Schwa. The Schwa is what his three friends call "observationally challenged". Finally the four boys, led by Antsy Bonano, test the Schwa Effect by dressing him up in funny clothes and see if anyone notices him. Few do, not always including Antsy. Antsy and the Schwa decided t...more

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Aug 12, 2009

Jennifer Wardrip rated it

Shelves: trt-gold-star-award-winner, trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com

Anthony "Antsy" Bonano can't really figure out what's wrong with The Schwa. His classmate, Calvin Schwa, has always just been...around.

A nondescript face on a nondescript kid, The Schwa always seems to just blend into the background, and could be standing right in front of you for half an hour before you even notice he's there - and that's only if he speaks up and says something. Antsy finds it difficult to even t...more

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Jan 06, 2011

Eileen Brian rated it

Shelves: books-read-in-8th-grade

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 10, 2011

April rated it

Shelves: puc-engl-412-adolescent-fiction

“Okay, so like I said, I don’t remember when I met him – nobody does – but I can tell you the first time I remember noticing him. It was the day Manny Bullpucky jumped from the Marine Park Bridge.”

So begins the weird adventures of Brooklyn born and bred Anthony “Antsy” Bonano and his “functionally invisible,” “observationally challenged” friend, Calvin Schwa. What starts as a simple experiment of the “Schwa Effect” (Is it possible that family, friends, students and teachers alike can...more“Okay, so like I said, I don’t remember when I met him – nobody does – but I can tell you the first time I remember noticing him. It was the day Manny Bullpucky jumped from the Marine Park Bridge.”

So begins the weird adventures of Brooklyn born and bred Anthony “Antsy” Bonano and his “functionally invisible,” “observationally challenged” friend, Calvin Schwa. What starts as a simple experiment of the “Schwa Effect” (Is it possible that family, friends, students and teachers alike can’t really see him?) blows up like a plastic dummy strapped with fireworks as Antsy begins a quest to find answers to all his burning questions: What really happened to the Schwa’s mother? Will he ever get a date? How crazy IS old man Crawley? Is there a little Schwa in all of us? Can we control our destinies?

This book is a sparkling example of YA stretching itself to cover many different genre categories: Humor, Fantasy, with a smidgen of the Dystopiatic thrown in for good measure. The idea that a YA wants to be seen but maybe not too seen, to be normal, but not too normal is a reoccurring theme that I’ve come across most of the YA books I’ve read so far. The voice of Antsy is both strong and yet uncertain, a real mix of selfishness and generousness that is very real and relatable. Maybe, at times, the story is a little Soap Operatic, but that only adds to the fun of reading it.

From the Chapter Titles, such as, “Maybe They Had It Right in France Because Getting My Head Lopped Off by a Guillotine Would Have Been Easier,” to the concept that there are people all around us, every day, that we aren’t ever really aware of, this is the type of book that would grab a YA and not let go until the last page was read. The action is continuous, the situations often very real, and the characters that Shusterman creates are dynamic. It causes a person to think, but in a funny way that isn’t obvious or teachy-preachy.

Is it teachable? Well, I think it is a good example of how first impressions are often false impressions of people. It asks the reader to think about what motivates a person to do good things or bad things and are those things really good or bad? How blind are we to the people around us?

Personally, I liked the book without even thinking about its literary qualities. It was only after thinking about it in order to write the review that I came up with the questions above. Which makes me think this would be a good book to teach, since it tricked me into having fun with it first and digging deeper second.
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May 16, 2010

Alissa rated it

Shelves: humor

You probably knew someone just like him at some point in your life. That guy who sat behind you in AP English Sophomore year, the woman who works in the HR Department, the kid who walks past your house every day after school. You probably knew someone just like him at some point in your life, but just don't remember becuse he (or she) was one of those people who moves through life so far under the radar they don't even register the smallest blip. One of those people who blends in with the enviro...moreYou probably knew someone just like him at some point in your life. That guy who sat behind you in AP English Sophomore year, the woman who works in the HR Department, the kid who walks past your house every day after school. You probably knew someone just like him at some point in your life, but just don't remember becuse he (or she) was one of those people who moves through life so far under the radar they don't even register the smallest blip. One of those people who blends in with the environment so well they are practically invisible.

Calvin Schwa is one of these people. He could dress in a cat suit and bright orange sombraro and bellow patriotic songs at the top of his lungs and only 1 out of 5 people would notice--and even that one person couldn't accurately describe him or what he was doing. He could go to school wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks and not get noticed by teacher or peer until more than halfway through the day. He could stand in front of you and wave his hands inches from your face and you would still not see him. You may think that Calvin, or "The Schwa" as his friends call him (when they remember to call him anything), has it made. That he's got Secret Agent Man written all over him and would be able to easily secure a well-paying job working for the most secretest of secret secret branches of the FBI or CIA. Not so. More than anything, The Schwa wants to be seen. More than anything, he wants to be remembered. "The Schwa Was Here" is the story of how that happened, of how a once invisible boy made himself known throughout the world.

Anthony, or "Antsy", meets the Schwa completely by accident. Soon it becomes a game to see just how far the Schwa's powers of invisibility can be taken. And, as you may have guessed from what you already know (or don't know) about the Schwa, that's pretty far. But an especially dangerous dare goes wrong and the Schwa is seen by the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time. The aftermath changes not only the Schwa's life, but the lives of everyone who knows him.

I don't want to say too much else about the Schwa's and Antsy's hijinx, because I don't want to have to select the "spoilers" box. All I will tell you that this is a worthwhile and humorous read that touches on one of the most basic of human desires: the need to be recognized and remembered.

Highly recommended for both girls and guys and readers of all ages.(less)

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Mar 17, 2009

Barky rated it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, 2008-caudill-nominees, mystery, quirky, borrowed-from-the-library

Calvin Schwa (like the ‘uh’ sound symbolized by the upside down ‘e’) is functionally invisible – people’s eyes slide right over him. Anthony (‘Antsy’) Bonano gets Calvin to use his talent as a money-making scheme – kids place bets on what the Schwa can get away with (without people noticing). It’s working out great for Antsy and his gang until someone suggests that Calvin sneak into Old Man Crawley’s place. He’s a cantankerous old man who owns fourteen dogs, and the Schwa’s mission is to stea...more

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Nov 30, 2008

Megan rated it

Shelves: young-adult

I'm not sure what I think about this book. The concept was original and the writing was great. The Brooklyn accent of the narrator (Antsy) was not overdone, but seemed natural enough that as I read I could clearly hear Brooklyn in my mind.

Was this a comedy? fantasy? allegory? a combination? or something altogether different? I can't say. The Schwa is a kid who is invisible. Or maybe he's just very quiet and tends to be caught in the shadows. I'm not sure if we were supposed to ...more

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Nov 18, 2010

Josie Thorpe rated it

The Schwa Was Here
BY: Neal Shusterman
Antsy Bonano is around the age of 13, he has a group of friends that love to do everything together, they even try blowing up plastic manikins! Until one day when Antsy feels like they are not the only ones there. Antsy soon finds out that there has been a kid named Calvin hanging around with them. Antsy and his friends find out that people can’t see Calvin. People also call him the Schwa. They decide that it would be fun to see how peop...moreThe Schwa Was Here
BY: Neal Shusterman
Antsy Bonano is around the age of 13, he has a group of friends that love to do everything together, they even try blowing up plastic manikins! Until one day when Antsy feels like they are not the only ones there. Antsy soon finds out that there has been a kid named Calvin hanging around with them. Antsy and his friends find out that people can’t see Calvin. People also call him the Schwa. They decide that it would be fun to see how people react to the Schwa when he does crazy things. They thought it would be fun to have him walk through an airport detector with a metal bar in his pocket. They also had him and some other students sit in a classroom and then they pulled other students aside and asked them to do a head count, four out of five of them didn’t count the Schwa. One of the last experiments made the Schwa and Antsy get into some trouble. The trouble leads to some consequences when the trouble leads them to a girl, who they end up fighting over.
The power of a friend is a big thing in the world today. Many people are in search of it while others have had it all their lives. Something that struck me as noteworthy was “the power of a friend.” Calvin did not have any friends before Antsy. So once Antsy came along, I think the Schwa started to feel as though he was more seen than before. Antsy, from the day they met had a big impact on the Schwa’s life. I feel as though the Schwa became happier and joyful with Antsy around. Everyone needs the power of a friend.
Some of my favorite parts in the book were the part when Lexie and Antsy kid-napped Mr. Crawley and took him into a private helicopter to explore Brooklyn, New York. So for once in a super long time Mr. Crawley came out of his house and into the open air and took a sight of the city again. That’s one of my favorite parts because they helped Mr. Crawley become happier again, and I think we should all be happier! I also liked the part when Antsy, Lexie, and the Schwa found out what really happened to the Schwa’s mom. That part kept me on the edge of my seat, because I wanted to know so badly what happened to his mom at the grocery store. I also felt as though the author described the scene really well. I could truly envision the Schwa sitting in the middle of the aisle waiting for his mom to return and watching the people walk on by and not notice him. Although I think that is sad that the mom abandoned the Schwa. But, I think it added a little extra excitement, because it was a side of the Schwa’s history no one knew about.
I enjoyed this book because I really got interested in the book from the beginning. The author did a wonderful job bringing the characters and scenes to life. I also connected with the characters really well. That is what brings me to who I would recommend this book too. I would that this book would appeal to people ranging from young teens to younger adults. Because the problems and situations that Antsy has to go through are the same problems that we teens go through today. For example, Antsy has friend drama with the Schwa and his close friends at one point in the book. When Antsy started to become fronds with the Schwa, his closer friends that he had before didn’t like the Schwa and so they stopped hanging out with Antsy. As I mentioned before, when Antsy and the Schwa first met Lexie, this caused some friction in their friendship because they both liked her. There are many people who go through this everyday. Although I do think that the ending does not teach a child or teen anything about how to deal with their problems. What I think it teaches kids, is when a problem arrives, they can just run away and be happy. I think that we all should be able to face our problems and fight through them and not just run away from them.
(less)

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About Neal Shusterman

Award-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movi...moreAward-winning author Neal Shusterman grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where he began writing at an early age. After spending his junior and senior years of high school at the American School of Mexico City, Neal went on to UC Irvine, where he made his mark on the UCI swim team, and wrote a successful humor column. Within a year of graduating, he had his first book deal, and was hired to write a movie script.

In the years since, Neal has made his mark as a successful novelist, screenwriter, and television writer. As a full-time writer, he claims to be his own hardest task-master, always at work creating new stories to tell. His books have received many awards from organizations such as the International Reading Association, and the American Library Association, as well as garnering a myriad of state and local awards across the country. Neal's talents range from film directing (two short films he directed won him the coveted CINE Golden Eagle Awards) to writing music and stage plays – including book and lyrical contributions to “American Twistory,” which is currently playing in Boston. He has even tried his hand at creating Games, having developed three successful "How to Host a Mystery" game for teens, as well as seven "How to Host a Murder" games.

As a screen and TV writer, Neal has written for the "Goosebumps" and “Animorphs” TV series, and wrote the Disney Channel Original Movie “Pixel Perfect”. Currently Neal is adapting his novel Everlost as a feature film for Universal Studios.

Wherever Neal goes, he quickly earns a reputation as a storyteller and dynamic speaker. Much of his fiction is traceable back to stories he tells to large audiences of children and teenagers -- such as his novel The Eyes of Kid Midas. As a speaker, Neal is in constant demand at schools and conferences. Degrees in both psychology and drama give Neal a unique approach to writing. Neal's novels always deal with topics that appeal to adults as well as teens, weaving true-to-life characters into sensitive and riveting issues, and binding it all together with a unique and entertaining sense of humor.

Of Everlost, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman has reimagined what happens after death and questions power and the meaning of charity. While all this is going on, he has also managed to write a rip-roaring adventure…”

Of What Daddy Did, Voice of Youth Advocates wrote; "This is a compelling, spell-binding story... A stunning novel, impossible to put down once begun.

Of The Schwa Was Here, School Library Journal wrote: “Shusterman's characters–reminiscent of those crafted by E. L. Konigsburg and Jerry Spinelli–are infused with the kind of controlled, precocious improbability that magically vivifies the finest children's classics.

Of Scorpion Shards, Publisher's Weekly wrote: "Shusterman takes an outlandish comic-book concept, and, through the sheer audacity and breadth of his imagination makes it stunningly believable. A spellbinder."

And of The Eyes of Kid Midas, The Midwest Book Review wrote "This wins our vote as one of the best young-adult titles of the year" and was called "Inspired and hypnotically readable" by School Library Journal.

Neal Shusterman lives in Southern California with his children Brendan, Jarrod, Joelle, and Erin, who are a constant source of inspiration!(less)

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Quotes from The Schwa Was Here

“What, are you totally psycho?" I shouted.
"Maybe I am!" he screamed back at me. "Maybe that's just what I am. Maybe I'm that quiet guy who suddenly goes nuts and then you find half the neighborhood in his freezer."
I gotta admit, that one stumped me for a second - but only for a second. "Which half?" I asked.
"Huh?"
"Which half of the neighborhood? Could you make it the people on the other side of Avenue T, because I never really liked them anyway.” — 16 people liked it

“It comes with being sixteen," Mom said. "You teenagers, you go into a cocoon when you turn fifteen and don't come out for years."
"So they become butterflies when they finally come out?" my little sister Christina asked.
"No," Mom said. "They're still caterpillars, only now they're big fat caterpillars that smell.” — 13 people liked it

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