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Help! I'm Trapped...
Help I'm Trapped In the First Day of School ....Forever by Todd Strasser
Plotting plenty of tricks for the new school year, Jake Sherman thinks he will rule the eighth grade, until he discovers that he has to relive the first day over and over again, and makes each day zanier than the last
Library Binding
First published January 1, 1994
22 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Todd Strasser
217 books791 followersTodd Strasser is an American author of more than 130 novels for adults, young-adults, and middle graders.
His most recent novel is Summer of '69
Booklist review: "Drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll, those hallmarks of the summer of 1969, are all here, but there's so much more. In this loosely autobiographical novel, Strasser introduces 18-year-old Lucas, who is bright and sensitive but also a screw up…. The picture painted of the Woodstock music festival shows the dark side of peace and love, and the prevalence of drugs is on almost every page…The best part of the book, however, is the one that transcends eras: Lucas' introspection as he contemplates his place in the world."
Kirkus review: "Strasser perfectly captures the golden haze of youth and life on the cusp of adulthood. Readers fascinated with this time period will find much to enjoy... Vietnam, Woodstock, road trips, and acid trips: a sweetly bittersweet, surprising, even melancholy bildungsroman set against a world in flux. Groovy, man."
His most recent young adult novel is Price of Duty:
2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
“Compact and suspenseful, the novel raises important questions about war.” – Kirkus
“This thought-provoking book is both welcome and imperative.” – Booklist * (starred review).
"Rather than attempting to sway the reader, it offers awareness." - VOYA
“Tightly wound and compelling ... appropriate for an older middle school and high school audience. VERDICT: Highly recommended.” – School Library Journal
Bio: Todd was born in New York City. When he was young his parents moved to Roslyn Heights, New York (Long Island). Todd went to the I.U. Willets Elementary school and then attended the Wheatley School for junior high and high school. His best subjects were math and science. He also liked to read, but he had trouble with spelling and grammar, and didn't do well in English. His favorite sports were tennis, skiing and fishing. Todd went to college at New York University for a few years, and then dropped out. He lived on a commune, then lived in Europe where he was a street musician.
All the while, Todd wrote songs and poems and lots of letters to his friends back home. Finally he decided to try being a writer. He returned to the United States and went to Beloit College where he studied literature and writing.
After college, Todd worked at the Middletown Times Herald-Record newspaper in Middletown, New York, and later at Compton Advertising in New York City. In 1978, Todd sold his first novel, Angel Dust Blues. He used the money to start the Dr. Wing Tip Shoo fortune cookie company. For the next 12 years, Todd sold more fortune cookies than books.
Todd now divides his time between writing books and speaking at schools and conferences. When he's at home, he likes to spend time with his children and dog, Cooper. He still likes to play tennis and ski, but his favorite new sport is surfing.
His most recent novel is Summer of '69
Booklist review: "Drugs, sex, and rock 'n' roll, those hallmarks of the summer of 1969, are all here, but there's so much more. In this loosely autobiographical novel, Strasser introduces 18-year-old Lucas, who is bright and sensitive but also a screw up…. The picture painted of the Woodstock music festival shows the dark side of peace and love, and the prevalence of drugs is on almost every page…The best part of the book, however, is the one that transcends eras: Lucas' introspection as he contemplates his place in the world."
Kirkus review: "Strasser perfectly captures the golden haze of youth and life on the cusp of adulthood. Readers fascinated with this time period will find much to enjoy... Vietnam, Woodstock, road trips, and acid trips: a sweetly bittersweet, surprising, even melancholy bildungsroman set against a world in flux. Groovy, man."
His most recent young adult novel is Price of Duty:
2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
“Compact and suspenseful, the novel raises important questions about war.” – Kirkus
“This thought-provoking book is both welcome and imperative.” – Booklist * (starred review).
"Rather than attempting to sway the reader, it offers awareness." - VOYA
“Tightly wound and compelling ... appropriate for an older middle school and high school audience. VERDICT: Highly recommended.” – School Library Journal
Bio: Todd was born in New York City. When he was young his parents moved to Roslyn Heights, New York (Long Island). Todd went to the I.U. Willets Elementary school and then attended the Wheatley School for junior high and high school. His best subjects were math and science. He also liked to read, but he had trouble with spelling and grammar, and didn't do well in English. His favorite sports were tennis, skiing and fishing. Todd went to college at New York University for a few years, and then dropped out. He lived on a commune, then lived in Europe where he was a street musician.
All the while, Todd wrote songs and poems and lots of letters to his friends back home. Finally he decided to try being a writer. He returned to the United States and went to Beloit College where he studied literature and writing.
After college, Todd worked at the Middletown Times Herald-Record newspaper in Middletown, New York, and later at Compton Advertising in New York City. In 1978, Todd sold his first novel, Angel Dust Blues. He used the money to start the Dr. Wing Tip Shoo fortune cookie company. For the next 12 years, Todd sold more fortune cookies than books.
Todd now divides his time between writing books and speaking at schools and conferences. When he's at home, he likes to spend time with his children and dog, Cooper. He still likes to play tennis and ski, but his favorite new sport is surfing.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 16, 2015
HELP! I’m trapped in the first day of school Review
PERSONAL RESPONSE
After I read this book, I realized the children should grow up in one day. The people cannot be children forever. The children in the middle school are the best age to try to grow up, to be a sensible student is the most important thing. In the school, do not be a troublemaker because we are not children anymore. We should try to help the students who need help and make friends with the students who have good behaviors.
THE PLOT
Jack Sherman is friends with super-cool Alex Silver, they are the troublemakers. They want to be the kings of eighth grade. On the first day of school they bully the new sixth grade students and cheat Ollie. And to make absolutely sure that everyone knows it right away, they have a hilarious prank ready for the first day of school. But just when Jack thinks he’s got it made, he realizes that he has to go back to the beginning---and start the first day of school all over again and again and again! Jack realized the first day of school repeated again but he doesn’t need do the same thing, so in the repeated day he change his behavior, making his behavior better than before. He started to help Ollie to find the bus stop, locker and homeroom, making friends with others, remained Oille turn off the toast to avoid the fire. In the end of story Jack broke out of the endless pattern after he changed all his bad behaviors and now he is a kind and good student now.
RECOMMEND
In my point of view, this book is for the middle school students. The main character, Jack, is in eighth grade in the middle school and this story is happening in the first day of school. The words that the author uses in the book are not very formal just like what the students said in their daily life, so if the students who are in the middle school read this book, it will be much easier to strike a responsive chord in the hearts. Therefore, I think this book is better for middle school students to read.
PERSONAL RESPONSE
After I read this book, I realized the children should grow up in one day. The people cannot be children forever. The children in the middle school are the best age to try to grow up, to be a sensible student is the most important thing. In the school, do not be a troublemaker because we are not children anymore. We should try to help the students who need help and make friends with the students who have good behaviors.
THE PLOT
Jack Sherman is friends with super-cool Alex Silver, they are the troublemakers. They want to be the kings of eighth grade. On the first day of school they bully the new sixth grade students and cheat Ollie. And to make absolutely sure that everyone knows it right away, they have a hilarious prank ready for the first day of school. But just when Jack thinks he’s got it made, he realizes that he has to go back to the beginning---and start the first day of school all over again and again and again! Jack realized the first day of school repeated again but he doesn’t need do the same thing, so in the repeated day he change his behavior, making his behavior better than before. He started to help Ollie to find the bus stop, locker and homeroom, making friends with others, remained Oille turn off the toast to avoid the fire. In the end of story Jack broke out of the endless pattern after he changed all his bad behaviors and now he is a kind and good student now.
RECOMMEND
In my point of view, this book is for the middle school students. The main character, Jack, is in eighth grade in the middle school and this story is happening in the first day of school. The words that the author uses in the book are not very formal just like what the students said in their daily life, so if the students who are in the middle school read this book, it will be much easier to strike a responsive chord in the hearts. Therefore, I think this book is better for middle school students to read.
November 7, 2017
This book makes its point early with the protagonist waking up from a dream about a groundhog named Bill. For anyone who’s seen Bill Murray’s original comedy about a man trapped in a 24-hour time loop, this unsubtle hint makes the whole book seem almost moot. Of course, the clumsy, overly long title gives away the plot before you even open it.
Jake does amend his ways, although I wonder what led him down this path of being a bully in the first place. The book presents it as an ongoing cycle with sixth graders growing up eager to become bullies in their own right after being bullied by eighth-grade children. When some children complain about the horrible treatment, they are assured they can be tormenters in their turn once they get older.
However, a teacher makes a short speech to Jake about being a miniature tyrant and his sister is antagonistic towards him for his promised reign of terror. But Jake chooses his new friend Alex and neglects his old ones. Why? What happened? Was it just a consequence of growing older? Why are Jake and Alex the only two eighth graders bent on giving hell to younger kids?
With such questions omitted or left unanswered, the whole book focuses on Jake’s slow realization that his newly adopted persona of nastiness is losing him friends, respect and costing him the potential romance with a pretty new girl. As with Mr. Murray’s role, he at first tries to turn the loop to his advantage. When that fails, he resolves to help rather than hurt people with predictably favorable results.
This book is a mildly amusing copy of Groundhog Day but from a juvenile point of view. It’s been done many times since the movie was released and to better effect. But as imitations go, this one is a mostly inoffensive entry.
Jake does amend his ways, although I wonder what led him down this path of being a bully in the first place. The book presents it as an ongoing cycle with sixth graders growing up eager to become bullies in their own right after being bullied by eighth-grade children. When some children complain about the horrible treatment, they are assured they can be tormenters in their turn once they get older.
However, a teacher makes a short speech to Jake about being a miniature tyrant and his sister is antagonistic towards him for his promised reign of terror. But Jake chooses his new friend Alex and neglects his old ones. Why? What happened? Was it just a consequence of growing older? Why are Jake and Alex the only two eighth graders bent on giving hell to younger kids?
With such questions omitted or left unanswered, the whole book focuses on Jake’s slow realization that his newly adopted persona of nastiness is losing him friends, respect and costing him the potential romance with a pretty new girl. As with Mr. Murray’s role, he at first tries to turn the loop to his advantage. When that fails, he resolves to help rather than hurt people with predictably favorable results.
This book is a mildly amusing copy of Groundhog Day but from a juvenile point of view. It’s been done many times since the movie was released and to better effect. But as imitations go, this one is a mostly inoffensive entry.
April 30, 2011
I recently picked this book up at a second-hand store while looking for kids' books. I'd never read this before but I thought it was based on an article/story in a magazine I remember reading in school in 7th grade about the same situation; being "stuck in the first day of school": waking up every day and having to start over again! I don't remember what magazine that was that that story was in; supposedly it was some educational/religious magazine since I was at a Christian school that year, however when I read this book, I discovered this book wasn't what I thought and probably had no connection with the story in the magazine although both were similar.
When I read the first episode in the book about the first day, I was so mad at the main character's buddy Alex for how he treated people, especially poor Ollie, that I was just going to put down the book and not read it anymore but I'm glad I didn't because it gets better and better with every repeat first day of school! I cracked up laughing about the cafeteria's rotten food in spite of myself. That'd be awful but Alex the smart aleck got what he deserved, biting into a burger with rotten meat.
I can't remember the main character's name, but we see him become a stronger person instead of a follower of the bad seed Alex, as he takes Ollie the new kid under his wing and saves his house from a fire, and befriends the new girl Amber; they have a great friendship going on!! The ending was wonderful. I like this book a lot better than that article I said I read in 7th grade that was similar to this story because it had a happy and satisfying ending, whereas the one in the magazine left you hanging on a cliff practically! Very clever story, beautifully written. Kudos to Mr. Strasser, keep up the good work!
When I read the first episode in the book about the first day, I was so mad at the main character's buddy Alex for how he treated people, especially poor Ollie, that I was just going to put down the book and not read it anymore but I'm glad I didn't because it gets better and better with every repeat first day of school! I cracked up laughing about the cafeteria's rotten food in spite of myself. That'd be awful but Alex the smart aleck got what he deserved, biting into a burger with rotten meat.
I can't remember the main character's name, but we see him become a stronger person instead of a follower of the bad seed Alex, as he takes Ollie the new kid under his wing and saves his house from a fire, and befriends the new girl Amber; they have a great friendship going on!! The ending was wonderful. I like this book a lot better than that article I said I read in 7th grade that was similar to this story because it had a happy and satisfying ending, whereas the one in the magazine left you hanging on a cliff practically! Very clever story, beautifully written. Kudos to Mr. Strasser, keep up the good work!
March 6, 2020
Personal Response
I enjoy the book Help! I’m Trapped In the First Day of School a lot. I can relate to Jake constantly getting in trouble at school because that is what I do. Jake has no ambition to be at that facility and neither do I. It also is a very comical story that is pretty funny.
Plot Summary
Jake Sherman is best friends with Alex Silver. They want to be the top dogs of the eighth-grade class. On the first day of the school year, Jake and Alex bully the sixth graders calling them names and knocking their books out of their hands. They get so caught up in bullying the sixth graders that they do not have enough time to do their master plan. The boys plan on pranking the entire school on the first day to show everyone that they are the kings. Throughout the story, they never end up doing the prank due to bullying other kids. Finally, they realize that they are causing harm and slowly stop pranking. By the end of the story, the boys turn into normal kids and go on with their lives. At the very end of the story, Alex moves schools and Jake feels lonely.
Characterization
Jake and Alex are both the main characters in the story. The boys change a lot throughout the book. Jake takes longer to start behaving. Alex, on the other hand, starts to straighten his act sooner. Finally, at the end of the book, the students are both well behaved and are on track to a great future. Alex and Jake are both dynamic characters because they change throughout the book. They are troublemakers at the beginning and they mature at the end of the book.
Setting
The main setting for this story is modern time at a middle school in a small town. The setting impacts the plot because the boys are trapped at school. They clearly do not want to be there so they prank their classmates. The other setting is outside of school. They are well behaved there because they are not trapped.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to males ages 12-15. I believe that most boys ages 12-15 can relate to this book. It is a very easy read and has a good plot. I recommend this book to males because the main characters are boys. I will definitely be reading books by this author in the future.
I enjoy the book Help! I’m Trapped In the First Day of School a lot. I can relate to Jake constantly getting in trouble at school because that is what I do. Jake has no ambition to be at that facility and neither do I. It also is a very comical story that is pretty funny.
Plot Summary
Jake Sherman is best friends with Alex Silver. They want to be the top dogs of the eighth-grade class. On the first day of the school year, Jake and Alex bully the sixth graders calling them names and knocking their books out of their hands. They get so caught up in bullying the sixth graders that they do not have enough time to do their master plan. The boys plan on pranking the entire school on the first day to show everyone that they are the kings. Throughout the story, they never end up doing the prank due to bullying other kids. Finally, they realize that they are causing harm and slowly stop pranking. By the end of the story, the boys turn into normal kids and go on with their lives. At the very end of the story, Alex moves schools and Jake feels lonely.
Characterization
Jake and Alex are both the main characters in the story. The boys change a lot throughout the book. Jake takes longer to start behaving. Alex, on the other hand, starts to straighten his act sooner. Finally, at the end of the book, the students are both well behaved and are on track to a great future. Alex and Jake are both dynamic characters because they change throughout the book. They are troublemakers at the beginning and they mature at the end of the book.
Setting
The main setting for this story is modern time at a middle school in a small town. The setting impacts the plot because the boys are trapped at school. They clearly do not want to be there so they prank their classmates. The other setting is outside of school. They are well behaved there because they are not trapped.
Recommendation
I recommend this book to males ages 12-15. I believe that most boys ages 12-15 can relate to this book. It is a very easy read and has a good plot. I recommend this book to males because the main characters are boys. I will definitely be reading books by this author in the future.
December 19, 2019
11yo son urged me to read this. It's a fun little read, with excellent character growth, although no explanation of why this happened, though there is referral to another book in which the main character swapped bodies with a teacher.
October 10, 2024
I thought it was VERY funny, especially the lunch part.
Read
June 23, 2011 The book that I just finished reading is called: I'm trapped in the first day of school, by Todd Strasser and the genre is realistic fiction. The main characters are Jake and Alex. The problem that they ran into is that everyday Jake went to school it would repeat itself everyday was the same day. My favorite character is Jake because he kept going with the pattern and he didn't complain. I did relate to Jake when I thought that I was having deja-vo . I learned that you may be the only one experiencing some weird things, so try not to over-react and see if you can get some help. I did like the book. My favorite part was when Jake had woke-up for school and the pattern stopped. I would change the ending and make it so everyone experienced the same thing also. I would recommend this book because it's interseting to read about a person who is experiencing something very strange. The type of person who would read this is someone who likes weird science fiction.
May 2, 2010
You know, sometimes I feel like, "Didn't that happen yesterday?" Lucky for me, it didn't. But poor Jake Sherman! It really DOES happen the same way for him. Jake's become friends with a super-cool, half-wave dude Alex Silver. They're ready to become the Knights of Wedgy, and NOTHING can change Jake's mind. Unfortunately, they don't get what they expect: by the end of the day, Jake hasn't wedgied anybody! Alex and Jake are excited for the next day, to continue their reign. But weirdly, everything happens the same way! This is probably the best Todd Strasser book yet. Tied in humor and excitement, HELP! I'M TRAPPED IN THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL is great for the readers who enjoy twists and turns. Like all the other HELP! I'M TRAPPED books, everyone thinks that Jake's going crazy. The fun never ends, so when the book does, hurry up and get another one! :)
January 23, 2011
I picked this book because I was looking for a good story that was also funny and entertaining. I was looking through my book shelf at home and I came across this book. I've only read it once and I didn't really remember the story. By the title I thought that it would be fun to read so I picked it up and started reading it. I liked how in this book after each day they repeated the day, they didn't like repeat every single detail. They changed up what happened every single repeat. I was surprised on how much I was able to picture all of the scenes that occurred in this book. I felt like it was an HD movie and i was right there, just watching on as and extra or something. Moving forward this book makes me want to read more school books because this book entertained me because I felt like I could somehow relate to the things that were happening in this book.
December 16, 2011
In my opinion, this book provides a balanced amount of fantasy, excitement, and cliff-hangers. It is about a boy named Jake who can't stop waking up to the first day of school and he is the only one who knows it is happening. There is only one thing Jake can do to proceed to the next day...the "right thing." Read the book to find out if Jake will ever progress to the next day. I reccomend this book to anyone looking for a good read.
January 22, 2013
After reading the first chapter, I almost didn't finish this book - the characters were so unlikeable, but the reviews on goodreads were good enough for me to give it a second chance.
This book is a play on Groundhog's Day with Bill Murry - Strasser even alludes to it in the book. This book is a fun story - two stories - one of Jake being stuck in the first day of school and one of him being stuck in the first day of summer camp until he gets it right.
This book is a play on Groundhog's Day with Bill Murry - Strasser even alludes to it in the book. This book is a fun story - two stories - one of Jake being stuck in the first day of school and one of him being stuck in the first day of summer camp until he gets it right.
March 24, 2010
this book is about a boy who thinks he is the coolest in 8th grade but once he has to do the first day of school over and over again he finally figures out how to stop it he ended up stoping it because he stopped a fire from happening because he went to ollies house (a 6th grader who moved in 2 days before school started) and went inside and turned ollies toaster oven off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2010
I always enjoyed all the Help! I'm Trapped books as a child. They were such a cool concept because it was like a real incarnation of time travel and the Magic School bus. Strasser does a good job of not making it so that these books are to overdramatic about the fact that the boy has to go back in time to fix something. These are genuinely good books for young readers.
November 6, 2015
This book is so good but extremely repetitive but the book is really good itself I like it how he changes the days he have that are almost completely the same but all these things happen to him which I don't know about which I just figured out
I guess this book is good but like the saying don't judge a book by its cover it completely deserves that title
I guess this book is good but like the saying don't judge a book by its cover it completely deserves that title
April 5, 2011
When I was approximately in 6th grade, I really, really enjoyed this book. Obviously, I wouldn't read it again, I don't know why I'm even posting this, and who knows -- middle-schoolers may not read this kind of stuff anymore.
What happened to childhood?
What happened to childhood?
October 9, 2014
It was one of those books I forced myself to finish, just because I wanted to know how it ended. It would amuse the younger audience, but to me I thought it was a blatant copy of Groundhog Day and it bored me.
May 10, 2009
I liked this and thought it was quite amusing. It's Groundhog's Day for a younger guy.
August 15, 2009
Humor- possible read for the first week of school.
January 6, 2013
This is a cute book about Jake, who is beginning the first day of school over and over, until he can right all the wrongs he has been making throughout the day. My students loved book!
September 17, 2013
Book I read with my son, not the most entertaining. It felt like it dragged on and on. However it did promote a very good theme.
May 2, 2015
Awesome book!
August 26, 2017
Fun. May have to read more by this author. Dialogue was nice, plot tied up well.
Read
June 2, 2023The Stories in the series a pretty formulaic, but there are actually two formulas. The more common formula is that Jake is body swapped with someone. I the case of this book however, it is more of a Groundhog Day situation.
July 26, 2023
I remember reading this book back in elementary school. It was my introduction to the "Groundhog Day Loop" trope. It's a pretty good book for kids of that age and I still occasionally think back to reading it.
August 13, 2021
It doesn't have any bullies getting holes in their head, but it's still fine.
FULL REVIEW: https://spongey444.wordpress.com/2021...
FULL REVIEW: https://spongey444.wordpress.com/2021...
April 24, 2022
Every now and then, I like to revisit this book because it's one of the few that I remember actually reading in elementary school. Always a good time!
December 26, 2008
i realized that time flying by sometimes is a good thing
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March 5, 2018I liked the book a lot it was fun to read and how he came over the problem.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews