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The Misfits (The Misfits #1)

by James Howe, Bagram Ibatoulline (Illustrator)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 2,591 ratings · 433 reviews

Sticks and stones may break our bones,

but names

will break our spirit.

Paperback, 288 pages

Published May 1st 2003 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers (first published May 1st 2001)

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Apr 11, 2010 Madeline rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: assigned-reading, kids-and-young-adult

"Kids who get called the worst names oftentimes find each other. That's how it was with us. Skeezie Tookis and Addie Carle and Joe Bunch and me. We call ourselves the Gang of Five, but there are only four of us. We do it to keep people on their toes. Make 'em wonder. Or maybe we do it because we figure that there's one more kid out there who's going to need a gang to be a part of. A misfit, like us.
...I do not want you thinking that I or Addie or Joe or Skeezie feel sorry for ourselves. We do n...more "Kids who get called the worst names oftentimes find each other. That's how it was with us. Skeezie Tookis and Addie Carle and Joe Bunch and me. We call ourselves the Gang of Five, but there are only four of us. We do it to keep people on their toes. Make 'em wonder. Or maybe we do it because we figure that there's one more kid out there who's going to need a gang to be a part of. A misfit, like us.
...I do not want you thinking that I or Addie or Joe or Skeezie feel sorry for ourselves. We do not. Other people may call us names or think we're weird or whatever, but that does not mean we believe them. We may be misfits, but we're okay. Leastwise, in our own eyes we are, and that's all that really matters."

Middle school sucks. This is a generally accepted fact of life, unless you were one of those people who really loved middle school - which is sad. James Howe remembers this, and The Misfits is a fantastic representation of the whole awful middle school experience.

Four friends, called the Misfits, decide to create a third political party for their school's student council elections. They are comprised of Addie, who is a tall smart girl; Skeezie, who dresses like a 50's gangster; Joe, who is gay; and the narrator Bobby, who is fat. They've spent most of their school careers being called a variety of names by other students, and because of this they create a new political party. They call themselves the The No-Name Party, and their goal is to get kids at the school to stop calling each other names. (apparently, this book actually influenced real schools to create No-Name-Calling weeks, which is pretty cool.)

This is a good book. It's sweet without being cloying, funny without trying too hard, and it has a message that doesn't need to be crammed down your throat. The characters are all very well done, and I think I would have liked middle school a lot more if I'd been friends with people like these.

PS: Remember James Howe? He wrote the Bunnicula books, and I'm really happy he's still writing.

Read for: Social Justice in Young Adult Literature
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Jun 02, 2009 Christina rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 9th-grade-advisory

By:James Howe total pages:288

Misfits by James Howe is about a group of middle school students who are best friends who have been teased by many people over the years. the main characters in this story are Addie, Bobby, Joe, Skeezy. Bobby used to be picked on because he is over weight Addie was teased because of her height and because she was very shy. Skeezy was teased because he dresses differently then most other people do. Joe was always teased because he is gay. These students found each o...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Lisa Nimz rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: any adult, and any child from the end of 5th on up

Shelves: young-adult

This is a wonderful book on many levels. The dialogue cracks me up. James Howe's characterizations are strong. He is realistic about the difficulties of school social life, but avoids scaring the will to live out of the reader. He is realistic, but not overly-dramatic.

What I love most about this book is how Bobby's thoughts are elucidated. He's growing into a manhood born of the strength of character it takes to consider others--something that requires a bravery rarely discussed. I would be fort...more

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Mar 20, 2012 Amy Greenberger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3rd-quarter

This book started out very good, but the ending was so unrealistic that it ruined the end of the book. I think that it gives false hope to kids who are having a hard time in middle school that once you grow up all of your dreams and even more will come true. This book was well written and got you very connected, but still had many flaws. Overall, this book was pretty good, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone else to read.
This book is about four kids who call themselves "the gang of five"....more

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May 17, 2008 Mo rated it 2 of 5 stars

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

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Chelsey Pardon me, but I take issue with what you have to say about Joe, gay kids, and gay men in general. Kids don't "decide" to be homosexual, any more than...more
Sep 14, 2010 08:48pm

Mo Dear Chelsey,
I apologize for any bad feelings my review gave you. Some of my friends had similar middle school experiences to what you described. One...more
Sep 14, 2010 09:54pm

Nov 20, 2008 Jacquelyn Higgins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Genre: Juvenile fiction Reading level: Age 10+
It is the rare child who hasn’t been called names by their classmates. Sticks and stones cause wounds that will heal, but derogatory titles can cause life long damage. Four unpopular middle-school students decide to put a stop to name calling by becoming elected leaders of the student body. The brainy girl, the fat boy, the homosexual, and the hood join forces over ice cream and sodas to begin a new political party that represents the minority studen...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, bullying, family, fathers-and-sons, fiction, friendship, new-york, middle-school, humor, grief, ya-fiction, young-adult

I am obviously not the target audience for this book. James Howe, a prolific author, has written a book aimed at middle school kids to get them to think about how names affect them and their classmates. However, as someone who was called a few names in her day, I found this novel to be moving. I am a very long way from middle school, but names are powerful things. As one character in this story indicates, names stay with you for a long time. Howe does a great job telling us about the Gang of Fiv...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Elyssa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3rd-quarter

I felt that the book, The Misfits, was good. It had a good message. I thought that the main section of the book started a little too late. I thought that the book was bad at first because nothing really happened until near the end of the book. Besides that I thought that it was good.

In the book, Bobby, the narrator, is in the Gang of Five. His friends, Joe, Addie and Skeezie, are bullied a lot throughout the book. The Gang of Five has always tried to ignore the bullying, but they decided to put...more

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Apr 27, 2011 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

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

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Feb 02, 2011 Kim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: glbt, humor, lis722, young-adult

What a pleasant surprise! I was sucked into this book almost immediately. Bobby, the narrator, has a fantastic voice, and the story he shares with us is one well worth reading. "The Misfits" is the story of four seventh graders who are social outcasts, but have all been friends since grade school. Bobby, the narrator, is the fat kid. Skeezy Tookis (a literary gem of a name) dresses like a 1950's greaser. Addie is extremely tall and a little too smart for her own good. Joe is flamboyantly gay, an...more

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Sep 15, 2010 Staci Caputo rated it 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters interesting and I felt that James Howe did a good job of engaging the reading and always keeping the interested. James Howe is an author of more than seventy books for younger readers. I have not read any other books by him besides The Misfits, but I really enjoyed the book and would like to read more. There were a few quotes in the book that did make me understand why Pleasant Valley Community School would want it out of the younger classrooms....more I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters interesting and I felt that James Howe did a good job of engaging the reading and always keeping the interested. James Howe is an author of more than seventy books for younger readers. I have not read any other books by him besides The Misfits, but I really enjoyed the book and would like to read more. There were a few quotes in the book that did make me understand why Pleasant Valley Community School would want it out of the younger classrooms. One that I found gruesome was on page 64, "By Thursday, it looked to me like Ms. Wyman is doing everything she can to keep from hurling herself across the room, scattering innocent seventh graders to the four corners of the earth, and tearing Addie's liver out with her bare teeth." I find this part inappropriate because this puts a bad thought into young kid’s minds that teachers are evil and would want to hurt them if they were in the wrong. Although kids may already think like this, this just is to out of line for children to be reading. Another thing that stood out to me was page 120 to 121. There were several quotes such as, “…Pork Chop, Roly-Poly, Fluff. And I’m thinking there’s a lot more of us than the names were called or what we show on the outside,” that were interesting because kids may think of themselves like that or be made fun on and reading it in a book somewhat helps the fact that it is wrong to make fun of others. For this reason, I can see why teachers would like to have this book in their classroom.
Instead of banning the book, Pleasant Valley Community School district wanted The Misfits to be an optional curricular selection for grades 7 and higher. Students who would not feel comfortable reading this book would be assigned another assignment to make up for the reading of the book. Teachers felt that this book was a good educational book because it dealt with problems with name calling, it provided a commonality for class discussions on bullying and harassment, and also they believed it taught reading strategies. Since parents are not in the classroom, and do not really know what takes place, parents/guardian said that the book was to mature for the children and there was a notion of homosexuality being an innate trait. Although I can see where the parents are coming from, I think that this book could educate kids on bullying and name calling. It would make class discussions about things such as bullying and name calling easier because they would have a foundation to build from. Although the State removed the book, I personally still think that it is a great read and could educate many young children.
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Sep 15, 2010 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely love this book. The Misfits was written by James Howe, he has written several books pertaining to juvenile and young adults. The way the book is written I feel that he had some sort of experience in adolescent life that sparked his writing desire in this area. As a parent he began venting through his writing he wrote this book about his daughter when she was having trouble fitting into her school and was going through the rough years of junior high. As I said earlier I really enjoye...more I absolutely love this book. The Misfits was written by James Howe, he has written several books pertaining to juvenile and young adults. The way the book is written I feel that he had some sort of experience in adolescent life that sparked his writing desire in this area. As a parent he began venting through his writing he wrote this book about his daughter when she was having trouble fitting into her school and was going through the rough years of junior high. As I said earlier I really enjoyed this book. The theme of the book is great, “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirits.” Which is in all reality very true the commonly known quote is “stick and stones my break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Sounds great and appealing and we all wish that this quote was true, but, how many of us ever felt this way? No one, we all I believe agree with the Misfits idea, we wish words could not hurt us or tear us down but, in all reality words do much more damage than they lead on. This becomes reality in the book when each of the characters Bobby, Skeezie, Addie, and Joe all realized that they each of them had been called rude names by their peers. They soon realize that is more than just their circle of friends who are being called names but it is a school wide activity. As a group they decide to take a stand and stop this hurtful name calling. They decide to run for student counsel, promoting the idea that all the students are the same and words do in all reality hurt. Along the way they find some new friends and find more things about themselves and about their peers than they had ever realized. This is a great book adolescent book because students in today’s society are easily relatable to the book.
Some ideas in the book may however be controversial. The book was censored by the Pleasant Valley School District. Perhaps in the censored school could have an available copy for those students who are allowed to read whatever they desire. However, it is the truth of the twenty-first century that we live in. people are different, that why the World is so fascinating. This book is very relatable for anyone of any age. Who does not remember their junior high years, who your friends were, who stuck by your side, and the experiences that shaped you into the kind of person you wanted to be or that you already are. I think is a great book and could be read in the classroom, I believe it is also a mature book, so leave it to upper level junior high. I think it sends a great message and will allow students to realize that their peers may be different but in the long run they are just like you, trying to make it through life.
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Sep 15, 2010 Becca Noelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. James Howe has been interviewed by Scholastic.com about The Misfits and has been quoted saying, "I wanted to tell their stories in a way that was fun and entertaining, but also get across a bigger message, which had to do with accepting differences and specifically ending name calling in school." In writing The Misfits, Howe did just that. His books have influenced society so much, that a "No Name-Calling Week" has been adopted by schools nationwide. Howe is an award winning author has written o...more James Howe has been interviewed by Scholastic.com about The Misfits and has been quoted saying, "I wanted to tell their stories in a way that was fun and entertaining, but also get across a bigger message, which had to do with accepting differences and specifically ending name calling in school." In writing The Misfits, Howe did just that. His books have influenced society so much, that a "No Name-Calling Week" has been adopted by schools nationwide. Howe is an award winning author has written over 70 books for children and young adults. He has stated that the main theme of many of his stories is acceptance.
I think this book was such a quick and easy read because it was not hard to relate to the story. If not you, than someone you know has been in a similar situation as one of the four main characters. Bobby, Addie, Skeezie, and Joe are the No-Name Party in their middle school’s election. They are sick of being made fun of for being themselves. Between the four of them, Bobby, Joe, Skeezie, and Addie come up with 72 names that they have been called since Kindergarten. When Bobby started gaining weight, kids called him “Fluff.” Joe has had the word “fag” written on his locker and been called a long list of other names because the one thing he wants the most is to hold hands with his crush, Colin. Skeezie wears leather jackets and gels his hair to look like his dad and is always called “greaser” or “slimeball.” Addie is tall, smart, and outspoken. Her classmates call her “beanpole” and “big mouth.” (139) This gang of friends wants to stand up for everyone who has ever been put down. Bobby, the main character comes up with the idea for this new party representing students just like him. “The point is that being a minority isn’t only about the color of your skin or your religion. It’s about not fitting in, being on the outside.” (137)
In the end, the No-Name Party loses the election in second place, but Bob says, “It isn’t always about winning the election…or the race…or the game. Sometimes it is about winning something much bigger.” (260) This is one of my favorite quotes from the book. It just shows that, after all of the trouble with running for the election, maybe the No-Name Party didn’t want to win. Maybe they just wanted acceptance. The kind of acceptance they got through the crowd cheering Bob on after his platform speech, being asked to a dance, or hearing that their crush likes them back. It shows that the smallest things can make a great difference in a child’s life. Kid’s may not think asking someone to a dance is a big deal, but for someone who has never had someone to dance with, it may change their entire view of school.
My second favorite quote from the book was during Bobby’s speech, he says, “They are strong enough to be who they are, no matter what names they get called.” (252) This example shows readers that the characters in this book do not apologize for being themselves. They are happy with the way they are and expect others to accept them. This is a great message to send to middle school children, because during those years when everyone is changing, people are trying hard to be cool like everyone else, when the best thing to be is their self.
Obviously, these issues are a part of growing up for children around the world. Bullying is present in schools everywhere. As teachers and parents we are aware of this, but students may feel like they are the only ones in that situation. This book is a great resource children can use to recognize that it is wrong to be treated like that, or treat someone else badly.
The reason this book was censored was because President Dayman of the Pleasant Valley School District deemed it inappropriate. In the 2003-04 school year, a 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Goetz wanted to fix the name-calling problem she had in her classroom. She thought The Misfits was the perfect book for a read aloud. She believed it could serve as a basis for class discussion about bullying. Mrs. Goetz also believed that The Misfits would help students cope with being labeled as “different.” According to the court case, Dayman believed that 6th graders could not grasp the concept of homosexuality and should not be subjected to view such mature subjects.
The local board decided on a verdict in which the book could be used in read aloud sessions and kept on library shelves. Any student who did not feel comfortable using this book was allowed to do a different assignment. With this court-ordered compromise, students can read The Misfits on their own time, if they please, without feeling uncomfortable or forced to finish the book, as they may in a classroom setting. This also apparently made parents feel more comfortable, knowing that “discussions about sexual orientation could be led first in the home” as the court case stated.
The fact that The Misfits is still available on library shelves for students is a definite plus. The ideas of acceptance, self- esteem, and growing up that are illustrated in this book serve as an excellent guide for students that age.(less)

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Sep 14, 2010 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
James Howe is a captivating author who has written more than seventy books for young readers and has earned Children’s Choice awards in eighteen states and two Canadian provinces. As a parent, Howe felt that he could relate to his daughter, a seventh grader who was having a hard time fitting in when it came to social situations. Thinking back to his younger years, he recalled that he had been through many of the same problems. Because of this, Howe began to wonder why nothing had changed in all...more
James Howe is a captivating author who has written more than seventy books for young readers and has earned Children’s Choice awards in eighteen states and two Canadian provinces. As a parent, Howe felt that he could relate to his daughter, a seventh grader who was having a hard time fitting in when it came to social situations. Thinking back to his younger years, he recalled that he had been through many of the same problems. Because of this, Howe began to wonder why nothing had changed in all those years. What drove kids to be so mean to one another? He felt that he could make a difference in the schools through his writing, and many would agree that he showed he was qualified to do so in his novel, The Misfits.
The Misfits, written by James Howe, addresses many themes relevant to the 6th grade reading level. In this story, readers are introduced to “the misfits,” or “The Gang of Five,” a group of characters who are ostracized for being different. Bobby Goodspeed is called names because he is overweight. Skeezie Tookis is labeled as “that young hooligan” (1). Addie is picked on because she is very tall and smart, and kids judge Joe because “he acts more like a girl than a boy much of the time” (12). Together, this group of 6th graders are thought of as rebels for standing up for what they believe in; that everyone should get to be who they are without being judged or made fun of. Around school election time, the 5 of them decide to run as “the No-Name Party” to put an end to bullying in school. Bobby put together an amazing speech which left the crowd roaring in applause. He states, “Another thing I think about names is that they do hurt. They hurt because we believe them. We think they are telling us something true about ourselves, something other people can see even if we don’t” (250). Although the students found inspiration in the speech, the “No-Name Party” did not win the election. However, school principal Mr. Kiley is so amazed by the speech that he agrees to help put an end to bullying in the school. Although The Gang of Five lost the election, they won something even better: the freedom to be who they are without being called names.
All in all, many consider The Misfits a good book for middle-school readers, as it tackles the many issues on self-esteem and fitting in, both of which are so important at this stage. However, many disagree. In fact, The Misfits has had many statements against it, and people have gone so far as to ban the book from middle schools under court order. Some argue that topics mentioned in the book, such as homosexuality, are moral topics which should be taught at home and not mentioned in the classroom. However, most of those against the book being read in middle schools are because they do not feel that the reading material is age appropriate. On the opposite end, many people, such as teachers, think that this book would help students because it “gives hope to any student who has ever been bullied or harassed for being different and allows students the opportunity to explore the issue of name-calling while also relating it to their own personal experiences” (189). Through this means, students realize that they have more in common with their classmates than they first thought. In this book, Howe “explores the hurt and anguish that unkind names and labels can cause and sends a powerful message: every human has the right to be who they are without fear of persecution and name-calling” (189).
At first, those who disagreed with The Misfits being available in middle schools were unsuccessful at banning the book. In fact, the committee actually recommended that the book still remain in the school libraries as well as a choice for teachers to read-aloud. They also stated that students whose parents disagreed with the book choice would be given an alternative assignment. One of the main reasons behind the school committee’s decision was because banning this book went against the School Library Bill of Rights, which states that libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of views on current and historical events, and that books doing so should not be removed just because people disapprove of it for personal reasons. After time, however, those against The Misfits being read aloud in middle schools got their way. Because the Board acted out of legitimate educational concerns of age appropriateness, the committee was forced to reconsider and censor this book. The case was won by the Board, and The Misfits can no longer be read aloud in the schools due to the fact that not every student may be psychologically or physically ready to learn about some issues presented in the book.
I personally believe that The Misfits should never have been censored or banned from middle school read-alouds. While I can understand why parents would not want their 6th graders being exposed to this material, I personally think that it should be allowed in the classroom because it only tells about kids experiencing these issues; it doesn’t go into detail about the issues themselves. I do however, like the fact that this particular book was not banned from school libraries. This way, students can still relate to and discuss the book without the school getting involved.
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Sep 13, 2010 Kate Winkler rated it 4 of 5 stars

The Misfits is based on the four middle school characters. Skeezie, Addie, Joe and Bobby are outcasts that do not fit the criteria of “cool kids”. They have their own group in which they call themselves The Gang of Five. They meet every week to discuss important issues and to eat ice cream. They run for a new political party in their middle school and have a life changing journey along the way. The group of friends, along with some other members they recruited for their political party, stood u...more The Misfits is based on the four middle school characters. Skeezie, Addie, Joe and Bobby are outcasts that do not fit the criteria of “cool kids”. They have their own group in which they call themselves The Gang of Five. They meet every week to discuss important issues and to eat ice cream. They run for a new political party in their middle school and have a life changing journey along the way. The group of friends, along with some other members they recruited for their political party, stood up for their party and what their party stood for. They called their new party the No-Name Party and represented the issue of name calling and how it needs to be stopped. In the end they all experienced something that made the end of the election a happy ending. Name calling is an issue that many young children experience in their lives. This story showed how even the outcasts can have a positive life experience. I enjoyed this book and the message the book portrayed.
Some quotes I found to be memorable were: “Kids who get called the worst names often find each other.” I liked this quote because it shows that there are people and friends in this world for everyone. These characters did not fit in with other kids in their school but they were a good fit to become best friends. I also liked the quote, “What makes for a happy ending is what Addie said all along: freedom. The freedom to be who you are without anybody calling you names.” This quote stood out to me because I am all about being true to yourself. The group might not have been successful with their party but Bobby stated that the real happy ending was their own happy endings.
I can see why parents/guardians would want to censor this book but at the same time I do not think it should be censored. This book raises many controversial issues such as name calling, and sexual preference. Although these issues are brought up I feel that sixth graders are most likely going to come across these issues in their everyday lives with how our society has changed over the years. This book does bring these issues up however it is nothing that is shocking or that I would think would surprise a student at this age. The censorship issues occurred on December 6th, 2004 and in my opinion times have changed since then. Kids are dealing with issues such as these at younger ages now. This book shows the positive outcome for these characters and gives hope to students that might be able to relate to one of the characters or issues brought up.
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Sep 08, 2010 Lyndi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I personally really enjoyed this book. It had a great message and showed that individuals have more behind them than what the eye can see. I think this says a lot about the author. He has written quite a few books, some of them having a serious side to them and others that don't. Overall he really seems to want to get a good message out to children through books such as The Misfits. Some memorable quotes from the book I took note of were some of the ironic ones. For example "Sometimes I wish I w...more I personally really enjoyed this book. It had a great message and showed that individuals have more behind them than what the eye can see. I think this says a lot about the author. He has written quite a few books, some of them having a serious side to them and others that don't. Overall he really seems to want to get a good message out to children through books such as The Misfits. Some memorable quotes from the book I took note of were some of the ironic ones. For example "Sometimes I wish I were a character in a book and there was a writer out there giving me things to say" (82). I really enjoyed this irony. I also enjoyed the fact that the main character spoke kind of behind the scenes to us as the reader. One example of this is when the main character Bobby says "The theme song of The Godfather starts playing in my head. Or is it The Godfather Part II?" (68). It really kept me connected and engaged with the book. I can definitely see where some individuals may want this book removed from school curriculum such as several parents of the Pleasant Valley Community School District in 2005. There are a lot of offensive names as well as some controversial topics covered in this book including homosexuality. These are very touchy subjects, especially this day in age when everyone is working so hard for equality. The local District Board for Pleasant Valley ended up taking this book out of the 6th grade curriiculum, but keeping it in the district library for anyone to check out. This is because in the end, they decided that the main issue at hand was the idea of age appropriatness and they felt that not all 6th grade students may be at the maturity level necessary to handle some of the issues presented in this particular book. In some ways I agree with them on this. There are a lot of serious topics in this book with one being homosexuality. It is understandable that not all students in 6th grade would understand everything behind this topic and would be able to handle it seriously. On the other hand, name calling is a huge issue in grades 6-8 especially. It is at this age when a book such as The Misfits could be very helpful in guiding the students to understand how hurtful and serious name calling can be.(less)

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Jun 10, 2010 Kendra added it

Shelves: 10-grade

The Misfits
by James Howe

What i learned from this book is it takes a strng peron or strong mind to ingnor name calling and being outcasted.this book has a blurb and it says" Kids who get called the worst names often find eachother." i think it brings the whole book together becsaue it starts with the group of so called misfits and they have a group with the name Gang of five even thou they rre only four in the group becasue they know there are others who can belong here and they welcome them.

i...more

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May 09, 2010 Mary rated it 4 of 5 stars

Four friends who would be labeled as the "outcasts". From the one being overweight, one being gay, a tall outspoken girl, and a kid branded as a holligan. They all have one thing in common, they're labeled the "misfits" of their middle school. This book talks about common teen issues, so teenagers can relate to it. But they did not let the name calling stop them from being who they are. They step out of their shell and show the rest of the world who they really are. The author does a good job o...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Lars Guthrie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The same criticisms that could be leveled at Howe's 'Bunnicula' books apply to 'The Misfits,' I suppose. But one person's 'corny' and 'saccharine' can be another's 'funny' and 'sweet.'

'The Misfits' broadened my appreciation for Howe, with its sophisticated plot and themes aimed at the middle school audience, and its style, which alters between the first-person narration of seventh-grader Bobby Godspeed and the stage-format 'minutes' of the meetings of his ousider group at Paintbrush Falls Middl...more The same criticisms that could be leveled at Howe's 'Bunnicula' books apply to 'The Misfits,' I suppose. But one person's 'corny' and 'saccharine' can be another's 'funny' and 'sweet.'

'The Misfits' broadened my appreciation for Howe, with its sophisticated plot and themes aimed at the middle school audience, and its style, which alters between the first-person narration of seventh-grader Bobby Godspeed and the stage-format 'minutes' of the meetings of his ousider group at Paintbrush Falls Middle School, known as 'The Gang of Five' (even though they are four).

The book evoked a strong emotional connection, too, making me cry as well as laugh. I'm not the only one with this combined personal and intellectual response. 'The Misfits'' central theme--the hurtful sterotyping so endemic to middle school--has inspired students, teachers and parents around the country to institute No-Name-Calling days. The novel is realistic about such efforts--name calling will always be around--and makes its points without being preachy.

For young people blithely, and often innocently, tossing out the comment, 'That is so gay' (as a character in 'The Misfits' does), reading the book might make them consider what that comment really means, on a number of levels. Any label, even less charged ones like 'dweeb,' prevent us from seeing each other as individuals. At a time of life when kids are figuring out who they are as individuals, and are so susceptible to peer pressure and bullying, it could help to recognize that.

At my far more advanced stage of life, it helps.

'The Misfits,' however, is far from mere polemic. Howe creates complex characters, keeps his story moving along, and touches on more themes than name-calling, among them connections and disconnections between adults and children, the ways we deal with death, and the hormonal urges which so intensify relationships in middle school. If his ending tied things up quite neatly, it was also very cathartic.

I've had this book and have been meaning to read it for a while. Seeing it on the 'Kids Recommend' list (http://www.c-t-l.org/kids_recommend.html) compiled by Nancie Atwell on the Center for Teaching and Learning site got me to do so. A good place to look for kids' books.

Highly recommended.

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Apr 19, 2009 Zhong rated it 3 of 5 stars

A 12-year old tie salesman, a tall outspoken girl, a gay middle schooler, and a hooligan have been best friends for years. They all have been the target of cruel name calling and now they are in seventh grade. Now they decide to stand up and make a change in their life. They all want to be treated equally as human beings, so they joined force to rebel, and to make their voices heard.
The Misfits is a funny novel about conflicts in middle school—name calling. James Howe purposely placed characters...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Gladys rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-reads, realistic-fiction, school-reads

I read this book back in middle school and I can remember liking it but I read it so long ago I hardly remember what happened in the novel at all. I really enjoyed this book. I especially enjoyed the author’s way of writing and all the different issues and themes he manages to embed in his book without making a sole “bullying” book. I can see how this book can open the issues of bullying and name calling and how that can take a toll on a person’s life. There were also so many tender moments in t...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Matthew Loarie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3-quarter

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I thought the book was great. It was great because it explained how names can stick with you and how you should stick up for what you believe in, also it gives a really great point, "kids that are getting called names are not the ones on the receiving end its the name caller". It is a real page turner because of how it explains someone else's experience on being in middle school and being a misfit. I feel the way I do because it is a great book for a middle schooler to read if they are getting c...more

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Feb 15, 2012 John Schulz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3rd-quarter

I thought that this book was very good. It told me how we 7th graders should interact with others. It tought me that a name goes a long way. You may not think that calling someone a name will hurt but, from reading this book I learned that this is definitely a way of bullying. This book was well rounded and it taught everyone in my class at least 5 life lessons.

The book took place in Paintbrush Falls New York. In the book, their are 4 main characters by the name of Bobby, the narrator, Addie,...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Emory Holzer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3rd-quarter

I thougt the book The Misfits was OK. In the beginning it was ok, but the ending made it bad. The book was very cheesy and unrealistic. The fact that there was two gay kids going out in seventh grade was misleading. I thought that it gave off the message that is you are called names in seventh grade that at the end everything will be great. This, of course, is not the case.
In the beginning of the book Bobby tells us about his job at Akworth and Ames. He talks about how Mr. Kellerman is so mean....more

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Sep 12, 2010 Jules rated it 5 of 5 stars

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

Things that turned me off at first:

1. I had to read it for school...and you never know with that.

2. It apparently was for ages 8 - 12, and I thought that that would make it utterly stupid.

3. The name itself...The Misfits? Just sounds like something that I wouldn't want to read, I don't know why.

4. James Howe wrote the Bunicula series and wasn't that for kinda younger people?

Well, I love this book. SO NOT WHAT I EXPECTED.

It got me thinking about things...it took place i...more

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Aug 11, 2010 Destinee Sutton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: tween, individuality, funny, school, death

Well, by reading this book I discovered that James Howe is gay. I knew he wrote Bunnicula with his wife, Deborah, so I was surprised. Wikipedia informs me he came out late in life. Better late than never, I say!

Anywise, this book has one out-and-proud 12-year-old, who later gets his own book (Totally Joe). But the narrator in this story is his "chunky" friend Bobby Goodspeed (What a name! He could be a Starfleet captain!). Bobby and Joe, alongside Addie and Skeezie, make up an unpopular, but re...more

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Feb 17, 2012 Xander Amiel rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think the misfits was the best book we read this year. It is really sad to think about the group of five, four kids, to be picked on. Especially Bobby because his family is really sad in the beginning. He lost his mom when he was seven,and he is obese. He has to take care of himself because his dad isn't a person who is like his mom. He goes with the flow,and Bobby's mom is a dreamer. She wants to achieve a goal unlike his dad. It was really emotional for me.

It took place a lot at school . At...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Grant A. rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 3rd-quarter

This book, The Misfits, was an okay book. It wasn't the best book ever, but it wasn't the worst book ever. If I wrote the book I would have changed many things. I would have had less main characters, I would have had chapters of the book written in other peoples perspective besides Bobby, and I would have had more interesting chapters. I would have also liked it if they won the election.

The start of the book started off very slow. All that really happened the first five chapters was that you mee...more

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Feb 07, 2011 Dan Thorson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult-materials

The four main characters seem to revel in their role as outcasts, though Bobby may be a bit of an exception initially. The decision of the gang to run for student council on the basis of being different, as the "no-name party". indicates a strong sense of self-esteem, self-awareness, and confidence. Howe's characters rarely devalue themselves as a result of their unique traits or in response to bullying. In this sense, these 12 year-olds seem to already possess a strong sense of identity. That s...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Ethan rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The misfits was about four kids Bobby, Addie, Skieeze and Joe. THey are all considered Socail outcasts at thier school. The story is told from Bobby's perspective. Bobby's mother died when he was young and because of this his Dad gave up on his dreams. So now Bobby has to work as a tie salesman for Mr. kellerman. Mr. Kellerman is a sand and lonly man who is not very fond of people in gereral. Joe is a nice caring guy but is made fun of because he is gay. Skieeze is a guy who likes to wing it and...more

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About James Howe

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pi...more

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Books by James Howe

The Celery Stalks at Midnight (Bunnicula, #3)

Bunnicula Strikes Again! (Bunnicula, #6)

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Quotes from The Misfits

“Another thing I think about names is that they DO hurt. They hurt because we believe them. We think they are telling us something true about ourselves, something other people can see even if we don't. —Bobby Goodspeed” — 18 people liked it

“Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit. —Bobby Goodspeed” — 16 people liked it

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