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Middle School Misadventures
(Middle School Misadventures #1)
by
In Jason Platt's debut graphic novel, Ferris Bueller meets Calvin and Hobbes in this hilarious and embarrassing middle school caper that asks the important questions--like how long can one kid vamp before he embarrasses himself in front of his whole school?
Newell is always getting into trouble--whether it's showing up tardy for most of the year, or mocking his teachers wh ...more
Newell is always getting into trouble--whether it's showing up tardy for most of the year, or mocking his teachers wh ...more
Hardcover, 232 pages
Published
April 9th 2019
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
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This whole thing was just kinda flawed for me. The talent show is going to be put on in three days? The principal is super vindictive and summer school is used as punishment not to further education or assist those who need extra help? The dad is just fine with all of this and never speaks to the principal? The art style was fine, but the story was just kinda ridiculous such that I stopped caring what happened to any of the characters.

The illustrations were great but I just couldn’t get into the story. The colorful, brilliant illustrations really jumped off the pages and I really thought this graphic novel was going to be a hit. It was the story itself that just didn’t make any sense to me as I read it but I continued reading it, as I liked the illustrations.
Let’s begin with the story and then, end this review on a positive note, the illustrations. The story was about a middle-schooler Newell who is signed up for his school’s ...more
Let’s begin with the story and then, end this review on a positive note, the illustrations. The story was about a middle-schooler Newell who is signed up for his school’s ...more

I really like the art in this - bright and colorful, with a style that's similar to Calvin and Hobbes. It's clear that Platt took his time with each panel (which doesn't always seem to be the case with graphic novels). Readers need to be willing to accept some absurdities from the very beginning (view spoiler) to the premise of the book (the late-for-school/summer school/talent show scen
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It's hard to talk about a book when you know the author. I've been reading his work for years now and am so glad that he has a book contract. The story is fun and the artwork is beautiful. Newell is a wonderful character and I can't wait to see what he gets up to next.
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**𝕎𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕔𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕟𝕤 𝕤𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣**
Choice book #3 Quarter 3
Middle School Misadventures is written by Jason Platt and is a fiction book.
The story takes place in a town near Garfield Middle School.
The main character in the book is Newell. He can sometimes be forgetful. Newell's best friend is Collin. Newell's nemesis is Clara. He likes eating pancakes with his dad. I think that Newell is a dynamic character because he learns that the talent show is not bad.
The main problem in the book is that Newell g ...more
Choice book #3 Quarter 3
Middle School Misadventures is written by Jason Platt and is a fiction book.
The story takes place in a town near Garfield Middle School.
The main character in the book is Newell. He can sometimes be forgetful. Newell's best friend is Collin. Newell's nemesis is Clara. He likes eating pancakes with his dad. I think that Newell is a dynamic character because he learns that the talent show is not bad.
The main problem in the book is that Newell g ...more

Middle School Misadventures follows the unintentional troublemaker Newell as he scrambles frantically for a way to get out of going to summer school.
Newell is a great main character for this story. He’s kind, funny, and imaginative. He is such a dynamic, idiosyncratic character. Every laughable thing that happens to him is only something that would happen to a kid like Newell. And when he breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader it just adds to his charm.
He has a great relationship with h ...more
Newell is a great main character for this story. He’s kind, funny, and imaginative. He is such a dynamic, idiosyncratic character. Every laughable thing that happens to him is only something that would happen to a kid like Newell. And when he breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader it just adds to his charm.
He has a great relationship with h ...more

A low three stars. Had the drawing style not so closely resembled a tween Calvin, I might not have compared the two, especially in regard to pacing, humor, philosophical conversations, and his relationship with the adults in his life.
Premise was rather thin and unbelievable, what with a talent show popping up in three days time, but perhaps that’s how schools are run.... The group of friends was intriguing but barely had enough time to get to know them.
The balance of the panels felt off, perha ...more
Premise was rather thin and unbelievable, what with a talent show popping up in three days time, but perhaps that’s how schools are run.... The group of friends was intriguing but barely had enough time to get to know them.
The balance of the panels felt off, perha ...more

The artwork for this graphic novel was really nice, but I'm not sure that the story resonated. My son enjoyed it well enough - he is the target demographic - but he wasn't interested enough in the characters and their stories for me to get him the second book. He said he'd prefer to read something else instead. And I can't say that I blame him for that. I found that the story jumped around and Newell came across as a very annoying version of Nate. I actually wanted him to fail and get in trouble
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This was an enjoyable book. Newell, the main character, has a very active imagination, and a penchant for getting in trouble because of his daydreaming. Through a series of unfortunate events, he ends up with a choice: participate in the school talent show, or attend summer school. Unfortunately, he has no talent. Or does he?
This book reminded me a lot of Big Nate. So if you like graphic novels about inadvertent troublemakers, somewhat bewildered friends, and generally well-meaning adults, you'l ...more
This book reminded me a lot of Big Nate. So if you like graphic novels about inadvertent troublemakers, somewhat bewildered friends, and generally well-meaning adults, you'l ...more

This had all the charm of the comics from my youth. There's a certain Calvin and Hobbes quality to the illustrations that is fun and I don't think the kids go to Garfield school coincidentally. Anyway, the plot is kinda wobbly for me. I can't see summer school being something you get to skip by doing a talent show? That said, the jokes were good, and a lot of care was taken with the illustrations.
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Public library copy
Attractive, well done graphic novel that students will want to read.
It lost me, however, when the main character HAS to participate in the talent show or the principal will make him go to summer school. I can't see any child being forced into being in a talent show. The rest of the whole book felt off to me because of that, but students will not mind at all. ...more
Attractive, well done graphic novel that students will want to read.
It lost me, however, when the main character HAS to participate in the talent show or the principal will make him go to summer school. I can't see any child being forced into being in a talent show. The rest of the whole book felt off to me because of that, but students will not mind at all. ...more

Middle School Misadventures was a fun read. Newell and his friends are believable and the artwork is stellar. The situations Newell finds himself in are both real and outlandish at the same time. The creativity displayed by Jason Platt is great. I look forward to following Newell on many more adventures.

In this hilarious debut graphic novel from Jason Platt, discover the crazy things that Newell must go through to stay out of Summer school and keep his arch nemesis from ruining his life. Filled with great jokes and awesome illustrations, this graphic novel will keep you laughing all the way to the end!
Reviewer 22
Reviewer 22

We need more funny books for middle schoolers that aren't patronizing. Books like these, and dare I say, Diary of a Wimpy Kid show the importance of acknowledging and appreciating the dry senses of humor that adolescents often have. And we need to nurture those senses with books like Middle School Misadventures!
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Certainly not my favorite graphic novel. Sure, the best friend's lines were some of the best, and I appreciated main character is raised by his dad as a single parent, but oh man, the plot just wasn't there. Page after page after page of Newell not knowing what to do for the talent show got boring real quick. Already on my MS library shelves, but I don't think I'll booktalk it.
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This wasn’t my favorite book. It was about a boy who had to sign up for a Talent Show. But it taught me to not have something planned at the last minute because things can go wrong. I also learned that helping people will make anyone feel good. And if you have a talent or not, you do have one (or another talent). Another talent you can always and at least try to embrace is being kind.

could have done w/o the euphemisms (***f...t***) otherwise, very enjoyable reading. Unfortunately my experiences sharing "Walter the **f...ting* dog" as a read-aloud is not "ancient" enough to share this one.
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Newell, in a last ditch attempt to avoid summer school, signs up for Garfield Middle school's talent show. The only problem is he has no talent and no idea what to perform. Time is ticking, and Newell must come up with an idea, or his summer will be filled with classroom activities.
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Things really stalled in the middle and Newell didn't really ever seem to learn a lesson. His friends didn't seem to have personality of their own, everything was about them existing around him. Very white male experience up in here.
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2.5 stars. This was alright. Nothing special, but not horrible. This is a tough one to rate. I like it better than most I rated two stars, but less than anything I've rated 3 stars. I feel like anything that is a read-a-like to this book is done better.
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I really don't like this book. It is very not feelingful.
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