The Boy Who Failed Dodgeball - by Jordan Sonnenblick (Hardcover)

About the Book

Based on the author's childhood this story is about young Jordan who has to deal with several issues at school during his sixth-grade year.

Book Synopsis

Sixth grade is the worst... and also the best, as Jordan rides the ups and downs of middle-school life in hilarious fashion.

Funny, outrageous things didn't stop for Jordan Sonnenblick after he left fourth grade. No, in many ways the events detailed to hilarious effect in The Boy Who Failed Show and Tell were but a prelude to sixth grade, a time when Jordan would have to deal with...

-- A rival named Jiminy (his real name is Jimmy -- but, hey, he looks like a cricket)

-- A stickler English teacher who doesn't care that all the old, worn copies of Great Expectations smell like puke

-- An Evel Knievel obsession

-- A first crush on a girl from band

-- An assistant principal who brands Jordan a repeat offender... on his first day (If you want to know why, you have to read the book. A tooth is involved.)

-- A continued reckoning with both anxiety and asthma

-- And more!

Review Quotes

Praise for The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade:

* "A rewarding novel, lit with flashes of irrepressible humor." -- Booklist, starred review

"Sonnenblick creates in Maverick an endearing protagonist to root for. Despite daunting obstacles, this terrific boy retains a strong sense of self, a sense of humor, and a big heart that impels him to do what's right." -- Kirkus Reviews

"[A] winning formula... a child in crisis, lots of humorous situations and one-liners, and moments of genuine warmth and emotion." -- Horn Book

Praise for Falling Over Sideways:

* "Sonnenblick has a knack for smart, droll, first-person narration... The book's beginning sounds so much like other, sunnier novels that readers, like Claire, will feel a jolt when the first crisis comes. But they'll stay with her every step of the way." -- Booklist, starred review

* "With humor, grace, and an ear for middle school nuance, Sonnenblick navigates the tricky waters of eighth grade and manages to convey the heartbreak of a major tragedy alongside the more mundane, but no less horrifying, problems... Authentic, funny, dramatic, fantastic." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "It's a powerful and profound look at a family coping with unexpected change." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review

Praise for Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie:

"A brave book... Jordan Sonnenblick carries it off with such charm and elan, you forget for a moment your heart is breaking." -- Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes

* "Sonnenblick shows that even in the midst of tragedy, life goes on, love can flower, and the one thing you can always change is yourself." -- Booklist, starred review

"The reader falls in love with the brothers, laughing and crying by turns and rooting for both of them until it almost hurts." -- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for After Ever After:

* "As hilarious as it is tragic, and as honest as it is hopeful, don't confuse this book with inspirational reading. It's irresistible reading." -- Booklist, starred review

* "Sonnenblick's intimate first-person tale of survival is a solid stand-alone novel that will leave an emotional, uplifting imprint on readers." -- School Library Journal, starred review

"Told with Sonnenblick's trademark self-deprecating humor, this stand-alone tween narrative slots neatly into the space between the author's YA and J titles, sensitively dealing with issues of family, friendship and death in a way that will appeal to middle-grade students. Recommended for fans and new readers alike." -- Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Jordan Sonnenblick is the author of the acclaimed Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, After Ever After, Notes from the Midnight Driver, Zen and the Art of Faking It, Falling Over Sideways, and The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade. He lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with his wife and two children.