The Waffler

by Gail Donovan

When one boy waffles back and forth, it’s going to take a few little kids–and one pet rat–to get him to finally make a decision.

Monty is a waffler–he can never make up his mind, which always gets him in trouble. But when each student in his fourth-grade class is assigned a kindergarten buddy, Monty takes some left-out kindergarteners under his wing, even though it’s against the rules to have more than one buddy. When his blended family and his teachers find out, they give him an ultimatum: choose just one buddy, or have none at all. That stinks! On top of that, his beloved pet rat escapes, and his twin sister stops speaking to him! Monty doesn’t want to cast away his new friends, but he needs to come to a decision before everything spins out of control. With laugh-out-loud humor reminiscent of Andrew Clements, Donovan gets the agony–and the tremendous fun–of elementary school perfectly.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile, School Stories

208 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

Gail Donovan was fired from her first job in an ice cream shop for making the sundaes too big. She now works in a library and writes middle grade novels, including IN MEMORY OF GORFMAN T. FROG, named to the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list; FINCHOSAURUS, winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award; as well as the trilogy SPARROW BEING SPARROW (Publishers Weekly, starred review), SPARROW SPREADS HER WINGS (Maine Literary Award winner for Young People's Literature), and SPARROW, ALWAYS. She has also written for the Rainbow Fish & Friends picture book series based on the bestselling work of Marcus Pfister. Donovan lives on the coast of Maine, where she jumps in the ocean all year round.

Reviews

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Life in fourth grade and as a member of two blended families is difficult. Monty's good intentions and frustrations with the way adults work are authentic and remind me that we (adults) don't always see the full picture. Despite being misunderstood and mishandled, Monty makes the best of most situations. The end was a bit flat, but despite that, this could be a good read aloud for 4th or 5th grade.

[Julie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Monty has trouble making up his mind and when he gets pegged by his teacher, principal, and then fellow students as a waffler things get difficult. Can he learn to make decisions - what to call his rat, whether he wants to flip flop living arrangements with his sister, and whether to stand up for what he believes is right? This had more punch than I was expecting for an easier book. And it is set in Maine? Nice...

[Jamie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monty cannot make his mind up about anything. Besides this problem he also deals with bullies,the divorce of his parents, step-siblings, and half siblings. His character shines through when he becomes book buddies with a group of overlooked kindergarten students. Great read for 3rd through 5th grade students.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you liked In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog, I think you'll like this book. Monty is a fourth grader who has great trouble making up his mind, thus the title, The Waffler. I think many of my students will enjoy this book.

[Laura Phelps · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great middle grade read! The solid character development, gentle humor, and realistic portrayal of how school doesn't always "fit" every kid make this an excellent choice for elementary aged readers.

[Tara Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Real kids with real troubles, flawed grown-ups, and the horrors of the elementary school cafeteria. I can't imagine a fourth grader who wouldn't identify with this great story and take away something meaningful from it.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this one - perfect for 4th graders and a decent story

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard realistic fiction stuff dealing with family, friend, and school situations. Appreciated the blended family and twin focus, neither of which you see too often.

[A Dorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, highly entertaining even for an adult reader. I felt for the main character, Monty, because I've been a Waffler too. I can feel the frustration of those around him as he hems and haws when he is supposed to make up his mind. Though his choice of a pet (a rat) is not really his choice but an action of desperation, it turns out to be good.

I love the author's characterization of Monty's relationship with his rat. First he notices the nuances of the rat's physical attributes like the way his paws worked while nibbling food. And Monty was so sensitive to the need for a proper name for his pet. The description of how Monty loved the way his rat's feet felt while gripping his shoulder is so sweet, I grew even closer to Monty.

I also liked that Monty is sensitive to the needs of younger kids, remembering how he felt when he was younger. Of course that gets him into trouble for awhile but it also reveals his true character in the end.

I was extremely troubled by Ms. Tuttle's ways to solve problems but it made his parents' support all that much better. I love when a family can come together.

Overall I think this is a good book for kids and adults.

[Laura]

I read this because I have recently gotten to know the author & was very interested and excited to read her published work. It has been a bit since I've read a book for this demographic of young readers so that may be why some parts felt slow or out of place to me. I think the protagonist's viewpoint is captured very well - I remember feeling frustrated and confused with adults like my teachers and family when I was his age. I felt badly for him since he is dealing with a very complicated, though probably sadly realistic, family situation. Portland and its residents were captured well in details (anyone who knows me well will see them & understand why it was such an adjustment for me when I first moved here). I will read another one of her books.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging story about a young boy trying to find the confidence to embrace who he is (despite what other kids and adults tell him). There were a lot of things for Monty to deal with - 2 households with step-siblings in both, a twin who excels in school where he does not, a condition of "waffling" between choices that has both teachers and adults losing patience and trying desperate things to make him stick to his choices, difficult friendships, and more. A few times I felt my heart breaking a bit for him as too-strict teachers or exasperated adults tried to force Monty along this or that path. I was thrilled with the ending and seeing Monty have courage to forge his own path.

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was nice, though it felt a little too young to me. I could read it easily enough but, personally, once I set it down I got easily distracted to the point where I forgot to pick it up again until I noticed it. I'd certainly recommend it to younger readers, though.



*Won on GoodReads First Reads*

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monty cannot make his mind up about anything. Besides this problem he also deals with bullies,the divorce of his parents, step-siblings, and half siblings. His character shines through when he becomes book buddies with a group of overlooked kindergarten students. Great read for 3rd through 5th grade students.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great life lessons in an easy to read package. Good for dissimilar twins and families who have an indecisive kid. Particularly liked how the author showed how quickly a teacher can take against a perfectly fine kid who just doesn't comply immediately, and how everything snowballs from there. Very insightful. Great discussion book for that age.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very appropriate coming of age story for kids in grades 4-8. I like the theme of family that's emphasized here especially the non-traditional family Monty is apart of. I also like the theme that sometimes it's hard to make decisions - I'm like that and I'm not a fourth grader! It shows though that you don't always have to have the right decision right away.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice elem fiction with well developed characters, interesting conflicts. Definitely worthy reading for any middle reader.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maine Student Book Award Nominee 2014-2015

[Cassidy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is about a boy, Monty, that can't make up his mind.