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34th out of 85 books
—
1,058 voters
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin
by
Josh Berk (Goodreads Author)
Being a hefty, deaf newcomer almost makes Will Halpin the least popular guy at Coaler High. But when he befriends the only guy less popular than him, the dork-namic duo has the smarts and guts to figure out who knocked off the star quarterback. Will can’t hear what’s going on, but he’s a great observer. So, who did it? And why does that guy talk to his fingers? And will th...more
Hardcover, 248 pages
Published
February 9th 2010
by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
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Recently I was discussing YA literature with some of my GR friends and I decided to check out my YA shelf. Don't let the low count on my read shelf fool you, I do read quite a bit, but as some of you might know (and many of you don't) I only rate and review books that I actually finished, the ones I do not finish I simply delete from my shelves. Now, sometimes I will make myself finish a book even though it's a definite wall-banger, that way I can really appreciate a well written or a great writ...more
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Nov 05, 2012
Jennifer Wardrip
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
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Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com
Looking for a wacky adventure? Get your hands on a copy of THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN. I'll admit I was attracted by the title, thinking it sounded like a "good time" read, and I wasn't disappointed.
Will Halpin is embarking on a new and sort of terrifying journey. Will is deaf and has spent his educational years attending a special school for the deaf. He has recently made the decision to enroll in public high school. In addi...more
Looking for a wacky adventure? Get your hands on a copy of THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN. I'll admit I was attracted by the title, thinking it sounded like a "good time" read, and I wasn't disappointed.
Will Halpin is embarking on a new and sort of terrifying journey. Will is deaf and has spent his educational years attending a special school for the deaf. He has recently made the decision to enroll in public high school. In addi...more
I loved this. Will's decision to move from a deaf school to the local public high school is one that puts him at odds with many of his deaf friends, and leaves him quite adrift in a school that doesn't seem to be making much effort to help him cope. So now he's the fat newcomer who's also the only deaf student - more than a lot to deal with. But the book is funny, Will is a great character, and when he makes his first friend, the book veers into Hardy Boys mystery territory in a way I found deli...more
William Halpin is deaf. He wants to be normal but he's faced with that small detail. He starts his journey to be normal at a public school. He used to go to a school for deaf people but that was not exactly his style. At his new school all he wants is to be popular and fit in. But with his teachers constantly forgetting he can't hear and the fact that ge's a bit overweight it's hard for him. But he does manage to do some schoolwork. He stunbles across an old ghost story of a miner named William...more
This book was not really what I thought it would be. It's a mystery...I don't usually go down for mysteries. But the reviews intrigued me and I needed a book on my phone to listen to as I fall asleep so I downloaded it.
What I really liked was the main character, Will (Hamburger Helpin)'s, humor. Wry humor eventually gets so on my nerves but his wasn't too wry but rather felt authentic and a little snarky. I don't normally like first person narration but this was very entertaining and not in the...more
What I really liked was the main character, Will (Hamburger Helpin)'s, humor. Wry humor eventually gets so on my nerves but his wasn't too wry but rather felt authentic and a little snarky. I don't normally like first person narration but this was very entertaining and not in the...more
Will Halpin is deaf and like The Curious Incident of a Dog in Night-Time, Will is insistent he help solve a crime where his disability is supposed to help him. It's an odd-ish mystery and more tongue-in-cheek that truly serious (though the crime of murder is!) On a school visit to a coal mine, a boy whose father is accused of bad business, dies at the bottom of the mine shaft. Told through his first-person narration, his notebook ramblings, and his IM and texts to a friend, Will is navigating th...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book gets a big plus for being different. You often don't find a teen book about a very likeable overweight guy. He is very jokey and I liked the side kick Devin.
It was a bit of a slog with all the texting and my daughter found it a bit too descriptive and slow so she put it down. It seemed like something she might be able to relate to since her husband is hard of hearing. I wonder how deaf students will react to the story. It would be good to hear reviews from deaf kids that have been mai...more
It was a bit of a slog with all the texting and my daughter found it a bit too descriptive and slow so she put it down. It seemed like something she might be able to relate to since her husband is hard of hearing. I wonder how deaf students will react to the story. It would be good to hear reviews from deaf kids that have been mai...more
Will Halpin, deaf and overweight, starts his year at a new, mainstream school without knowing what he's really getting into. He's a good lip reader, but the teachers never remember to face him so he doesn't know what's going on in class, except that his sexy math teacher is flirting with the obnoxious football player who is holding party invitations over everyone's head like a mark of popularity. The kids basically ignore Will except when they're laughing at him (though he can't tell why), thoug...more
This is everything a young adult book should be! While communicating moral issues and addressing uncomfortable topics of equality for special needs students (the main character is very deaf), this book is incredibly cool, entertaining, and is written well! The main character has that disconnected sarcastic tone that one might use after being shunned by mainstream society, but manages to find his niche in fit in well after some adjustments.
After some introductions of the main character Will alon...more
After some introductions of the main character Will alon...more
Will Halpin is taking a serious leap - from a Deaf School into a "Mainstream" School. Because of his excellent lipreading skills as well as his detestation for his hearing aids, Will lives in a silent world. This does NOT make it easy to fit into a gossip-filled, loud and chaotic high school. It also doesn't help that he's, uh, hefty. Plumpish. Big boned.
But he does it. He goes to class and is more than a little bit observant of his peers - his snarky and sometimes hilarious notebook slowly begi...more
But he does it. He goes to class and is more than a little bit observant of his peers - his snarky and sometimes hilarious notebook slowly begi...more
I also read this for the Nerds Heart YA book tournament. I'm not going to lie -- I hated it at first. It was like getting splashed in the face after the hot hot heat of Dark Water. I loathe text speak in teen novels and there was a shit ton of it. I wasn't keen on the plot, or the subplot, or the plot that was really the plot when it turned out the party based on a deck of cards wasn't actually the plot.
But I am really fond of Will. The tournament is about discovering books that serve underrepre...more
But I am really fond of Will. The tournament is about discovering books that serve underrepre...more
Will Halpin has decided to leave his deaf school and attend the local high school. It is a hard transition, but when one of his classmates is killed during a field trip to a coal mine, he and his friends may be the only possibility of finding the killer.
I loved this book! Will's voice is funny and refreshing. I do love a smart protagonist with loads of wit and sarcasm! And while Devon is definitely dorky, his is also both believable and charming. Berk even makes the school bullies more than just...more
I loved this book! Will's voice is funny and refreshing. I do love a smart protagonist with loads of wit and sarcasm! And while Devon is definitely dorky, his is also both believable and charming. Berk even makes the school bullies more than just...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
"VOYA" gives it 10 of 10 for quality and appeal. "School Library Journal" gives it a starred review. Naturally, I am interested. I read it, and my response is "Really?" First of all this is more of a middle school read than a high school read, though the characters are in high school. I found it boring, sometimes amusing, and often confusing. I would maybe recommend it to some of the less mature freshmen boys - reluctant reader types.
You know the story - the deaf, fat (or blind, or poor, or nerd...more
You know the story - the deaf, fat (or blind, or poor, or nerd...more
I loved this book! Another great book for boys and girls alike!
I'm always on the lookout for books my boys will like now and in the future, and since I'm not your typical girly-girl, books like this grab me as well. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk is a great story about Will Halpin, screen name HambugerHalpin, a goofy kid who finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery when the star quarterback dies while on a class trip to the Happy Memory Coal Mine.
Will Halpin has the cards...more
I'm always on the lookout for books my boys will like now and in the future, and since I'm not your typical girly-girl, books like this grab me as well. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk is a great story about Will Halpin, screen name HambugerHalpin, a goofy kid who finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery when the star quarterback dies while on a class trip to the Happy Memory Coal Mine.
Will Halpin has the cards...more
Will Halpin decides to opt out of the political issues at his deaf school and go mainstream. At the mainstream school he will have to use his lipreading skills to get by, but he doesn't mind because his ability allows him to drop some eaves on other people's conversations. In the first week he finds himself in love with the most popular girl in school, but on the bottom run of the social ladder. By the second week a mysterious death of a student (in the very coal mine where one of Will's long lo...more
Will Halpin is a deaf teenager who moves from a deaf-only school to a public school. He hopes to make it work through his gift for lip-reading. Halpin also believes he's overweight.
Berk acknowledges having spent considerable effort on making sure the sections about deafness were politically correct and accurate to the real experience. He was sensitive.
However, his main character is a completely rude SOB who consistently makes fun of others, gives them horrible names, and makes fat jokes througho...more
Berk acknowledges having spent considerable effort on making sure the sections about deafness were politically correct and accurate to the real experience. He was sensitive.
However, his main character is a completely rude SOB who consistently makes fun of others, gives them horrible names, and makes fat jokes througho...more
1 like · like · see review
A story of why i bought this book:
I was t a YA Festival in which I had not heard of any of the authors. Josh Berk was there signing books and wearing what can only be described as a really quality jacket. It was velvet, red and had a pocket in the front for a pipe which he only carried because his jacket had a pocket for it.I took one look at this guy and said to myself, " he makes good life choices." I then proceeded to buy his boo, to get it signed just so i could have a conversation with this...more
I was t a YA Festival in which I had not heard of any of the authors. Josh Berk was there signing books and wearing what can only be described as a really quality jacket. It was velvet, red and had a pocket in the front for a pipe which he only carried because his jacket had a pocket for it.I took one look at this guy and said to myself, " he makes good life choices." I then proceeded to buy his boo, to get it signed just so i could have a conversation with this...more
Will Halpin is overweight, girlfriendless, about to start a new school, and deaf to boot. Lucky for him, he is adept at reading lips, a talent which will help him solve a mystery. When he is given a seat away from his fellow students to facilitate his lipreading, he begins to study his classmates instead. He makes notes in his notebook about Pat Chambers, football jock and school bully, the beautiful Leigha, rich Purple, and class tormentee Devon Smiley, who communicates with him via finger spel...more
The most compelling thing about this book is that the main character, Will Halpin, is deaf. He leaves the safety and security of his deaf school for the mainstream experience of public school. It's edifying to "hear" the difficulties of being deaf in a public school: he can't hear the bells; his teachers turn their backs to him making it impossible for him to lip read; kids don't understand why he stares at them (so he can read their lips), and more. Compound this with the fact that he's overwei...more
Absolutely hilarious! This would be a great book for relunctant readers and guys because it combines humor and mystery. Will Halpin decides he wants to leave the deaf school and attend a normal high school. He is a large, plus size guy who is deaf, uses sign language and reads lips--someone who will stand out and be a target for bullies. Sure enough, though he dreams of fitting in, he soon becomes a target of insults and finds himself partnered with the second most unpopular kid, Devon Smiley, o...more
I found myself truly enjoying the main character Will Halpin and his observations of the high school hearing world around him. Will, a large and congenial type of 16 yr. old boy, has transferred to the public high school from his deaf school without benefit of an interpreter. Enter Devon Smiley the only other kid who knows sign language and who is on the same popularity level as the new overweight deaf kid. On a field trip to the local coal mine Pat Chambers, the most popular football player in...more
Have you ever been unpopular in school or not been part of the "cool" crowd? Have you ever been made fun of because of your appearance or even a disability? Unfortunately, sometimes kids can be quite cruel. Will Halpin, the lead character in this book, found out about this firsthand when he arrives at Carbon High.
Will, a deaf, overweight teenager who used to go to a school for the hearing-impaired, begins to attend a mainstream high school for the first time. Unable to hear, he has to read lips...more
Will, a deaf, overweight teenager who used to go to a school for the hearing-impaired, begins to attend a mainstream high school for the first time. Unable to hear, he has to read lips...more
If you guys like books about school life or solving crimes, then this is the book for you! The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin by Josh Berk gives me a clearer view of life in high school. Even though, I'm not in middle school, I can already imagine how it feels like to be in a higher grade. Although this book is for young adults and not appropriate for kids under 13.
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin is about a hefty and deft high school student decides to change to a private school. At Carbon Hig...more
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin is about a hefty and deft high school student decides to change to a private school. At Carbon Hig...more
Since I like to know as little as possible before I start reading a book, I failed to read the back cover of the book before I started reading. At first, I thought this book was going to be about kids with disabilities and bullying, and then around page 100 my idea of this book changed. Turns out it is and it isn't. Will "Hamburger" Halpin transfer to a mainstream high school from a deaf high school during his junior year. As he tries to navigate the social and academic world of high school, he...more
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Sep 19, 2010
Coralie
added it
An interesting, edgy teen book with no sex, drugs or drama. Just a murder. Will Halpin is deaf. He lives in Pennsylvania coal mining country. At sixteen, he decided to leave the deaf school and attend regular high school. It's tough, but he hangs in there and eventually makes a friend. Then, during a field trip to a coal mine, one of his classmates is murdered. Will and his friend get together and "solve the case." Although this sounds sappy, Will is smart-mouthed and sarcastic. His running comm...more
This book had an good voice and an enjoyable plot, despite the extremely obvious answer to the mystery (appropriate, I guess, considering the frequent cheeky references to Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew). You know all those YA books that have a cynical/existentialist/wisecracking/smarter-than-thou narrator WAY older than their teen years? This is not one of them (thank heavens). Will Halpin is a deaf, obese teenager whose wisecracking is humorous (not obnoxious) as he navigates public school for the...more
I really enjoyed Josh Berk's book, I loved the humor and repartee between Will Halpin and his partner in solving crimes, Devon Smiley. I really got what it was like to be deaf, fat, and a very keen observer--Will has become really good at reading people's lips because that is what he will need to rely on in this new, scary place. Will has transferred from the deaf school to Carbon High School located in the coal regions of PA. He writes observations, make notes and they are hysterical, "the bus...more
Jan 12, 2013
Kristin
rated it
2 of 5 stars
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This was alright. Formulaic and tedious despite the fact that I did find some moments to be genuinely funny. However, I'm not going to lie - the funny moments weren't exactly laugh out loud ones. The main problem with this book is that even though it read very quickly it was very dry. The narrative was far too winking and tried too hard to be witty and insightful. It had a kind of "See? That's me being funny right there" kind of tone. Some plot elements went nowhere, and I was particularly disap...more
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The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin will be released on February 9, 2010.
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
More about Josh Berk...
Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
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“Now, I have always loved ghost stories. Perhaps because people often seem to vaguely sense my own presence while rarely acknowledging it. I’ve been brushed off like a specter, a chill. …”
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