Take a Shelfie: The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade | Mentoring in the Middle

Take a Shelfie: The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade

I'm a huge fan of Jordan Sonnenblick, whom I've met once or twice.  He's such a nice guy.  And he gets middle schoolers, having taught them for a while.
So when my husband heard him speak at a conference recently, he knew he had to buy this book.

And then I had to read it.

Now, I do fall in love with books.  A lot!  But this one?  Oh. My. Word.

Sonnenblick tackles a hard subject and intersperses it with just enough humor to make the reader chuckle, even while you're crying inside.

Maverick decides that, as the smallest kid in sixth grade, and with a tendency to get picked on, he's going to try to do good - sometimes behind the scenes, sometimes right out in front.  Only he manages to get into trouble.  Every. Single. Time.

Mav's life isn't easy.  He lives with an alcoholic mother who can't keep a job.  She dates guys who are nice one minute and abusive the next.  Maverick's sarcastic humor allows you to get a picture of what's going on; his character is so well-developed you want to wrap him in your arms.  You can't help cheering for this kid who's trying to figure himself out.  He is the embodiment of that saying about being kind to everyone because you don't know what battles they're facing.

Sonnenblick pokes fun at schools, teachers, and assistant principals.  A couple of times when I was reading, I found myself laughing out loud.  He also shows that sometimes, in our efforts to help a student, we highlight their pain rather than diminish it.

My hat's off to Sonnenblick.  I think he knocked it out of the park with this one!  As much as I love Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, I think this one's even better.

Get this one on your shelves soon!




If you like, you can purchase the book through the link below.  You don't pay any extra for it but I earn a few pennies as an amazon affiliate.

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