Anyway*: *A Story About Me with 138 Footnotes, 27 Exaggerations, and 1 Plate of Spaghetti

by Arthur Salm

Max is a good kid—but you wouldn’t know that if you met him at the boring family camp his parents dragged him to over the summer. There, for a few exciting weeks, Max reinvents himself as “Mad Max” and gains a bad-boy reputation for being daring, cool, and fearless.

But when Max returns home, he finds it’s easier to be fearless with strangers than it is among friends, and he is not particularly proud of the way his behavior over the summer hurt people. Can he find a way to merge his adventurous alter ego with his true identity as a good guy?

Genres: Humor, Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade, Friendship

192 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

Arthur Salm is a former book review editor and columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune. He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, daughter, dog, and two cats.

Reviews

[Anon · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book. I got this book at seven pm and read till ten pm, and finished it the next day - I found it very hard to put down and I only stopped reading because it was past my bedtime. I wanted it to be longer so I wouldn't finish it so soon. I am 12, the same age as the main character in the book. I enjoyed it because it was so funny and interesting and the story was exciting. I really liked the footnotes which explained parts of the book. I gave a copy of the book to my best friend for his birthday and he also loves it. I am hoping there will be a next one soon.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyway* by Arthur Salm is a work of genius. I could read it a gajillion times. I read it in Barnes & Noble, and I LOL'd a LOT. People probably thought I was a moron.

Expanded review available at CurtisWeyant.com.

[Janice]

With a wonderfully light hand and gentle humor, "Anyway" explores that in-between age when you're not a kid any more but not an adult, either. Max, who considers himself a boringly "good" kid, takes advantage of a trip to summer camp to reinvent himself as "Mad Max." He experiences surprising success but discovers there are some things he actually likes about his good-kid self.

[Kelli Gleiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book, and I'm very excited to meet the author next Sunday (June 24th) at blue manatee children's bookstore in Cincinnati.
What I thought would be a light, funny, summer read ended up being a bit more. For the most part, it was funny and light, but what I loved (especially for the "tween" set) is the question of morality -vs- popularity. After assuming the persona of "Mad Max," Max is suddenly easy-going and cool, but after playing a few practical jokes and ditching some "babyish" friends, it still pains him to know he's caused any harm, even if it's by accident or association. His camp week ends, and he has a lot to balance before the summer's main event: a coed party for his friend Sara.
With humor, tons of footnotes, and a believable main character, Arthur Salm has written a solid debut novel that fans of the "Wimpy Kid" series will be able to transition up to.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a new adventurous character to be fascinated by and wish to identify with! Arthur Salm's Max made me remember why I loved to read Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, Lord of the Flies and all the other great stories featuring a genuine and free-willed character. Anyway* is a new American classic! Seriously!

[Joycetho1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this was a great book. If you have ever read Diary of a Wimpy Kid you would really like this book. In the book there are little footnotes that tell funny details. If you do read the book make shore to read the footnotes.

[Josh Newhouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tough book to review... 3/4 of it are brilliant. But the footnotes, it's quirky claim to fame, and the cursive font kept it back... This took a long time to read... 3.5 strong shooting stars... If it had not taken as long. Time to read I think I would have loved it... Great voice:)

[Keryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this book. I'm a 6th grade teacher and I used this book as a read aloud. Definitely a great choice! All ears attentive and many great themes to explore. Teachers- take notice!

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this kid's journey to find his best self.
Footnote: The footnotes are great.
Another footnote: Couple instances of language, but it's all part of the journey. So don't fret.

[Brindi Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great guy read. It's laugh-out-loud funny, and the main character, Max, is a real charmer. Humorous and with a few important life lessons here and there this book is perfect for tween boys.

[Christine Dober · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one got my reluctant reader to read voluntarily this summer. Then I read it out loud because he wanted to share it with me. Great themes of friendship, finding out who you are, and laugh out loud funny.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book a lot because max finds it harder to be brave with his old friends than strangest.

[Jacy W · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book, Anyway* by Arthur Salm, is a wonderful read. The book starts off with Max, the main character, explaining what he likes in 7th grade and what sports he plays. I feel this book is aimed towards middle schoolers mainly, because they can relate to what Max is going through. When Max goes to a family based summer camp with his parents, he goes from being a shy and observant kid to this social butterfly who's always looking to crack a joke or make someone smile. He makes 5 new friends at the camp who will eventually become some of his closest buddies. Max likes his new self, the one who's always out with friends but that's not the case at school. When Max gets back from the summer camp, he uses some of the social skills he learned over the summer to make ordinary classmates, new friends. I believe the author write this book to inspire middle schoolers to get out of their comfort zones and live a little.

[Brennan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very good

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyway* by Arthur Salm is a contemporary realistic fiction book, most likely intended for ages 11-14.

Summary: 12 year old Max has an average life—and personality—so when given the opportunity to go to a summer camp where no one will know him, he decides to create a “new” Max. However he discovers that once you start acting a certain way, it’s hard to completely go back to who you were before.

Evaluation: I rated this book 5 stars because it is entertaining, thought provoking, realistic, and all-around a really great book for young teens. The plot is very effective: the first part of the book introduces Max’s life so far, the second part is the story of his experience at camp, and the third part tells what happens after he returns home. The characters are surprisingly believable and this book is still by far the most accurate depiction of a young teenage narrator that I have ever read. The mental development that Max goes through throughout the story is very realistic and it is almost as if we are reading the mind of a 12-13 year old instead of a book. This book would be appealing to readers around the same age as Max because they would be able to relate to the characters and the struggles they go through as well as the sense of humor. In the classroom, this book could be used to introduce a discussion about why difficult choices are so difficult, and what makes something the “right” thing to do. As a fun activity, students could think of an alternate “new” personality for themselves, and write down the qualities that person might have.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This good book written by Arthur Salm is about an 8th grader going to a summer camp for families and he learns that he can be some one else. He learns that it might not be a good thing though, acting like some on you are not and some kids there made Max realize this. The lesson I found in this book was to always be yourself no matter the circumstances. This book is very good for readers that like to read books that they can relate to. Otherwise this book isn't all that worth to read.

[Charlou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max has the opportunity to do what many kids want to do - create a new identity. Be the assured person he wants to be instead of the insecure 12 year old he is in real life. When does adventurous and cool turn to jerk? Are there obvious lessons in this book, yes. Does it work because of the reality of the insecurities? i think it does. Did I like the footnotes as a gimmick? Eh. 3 1/2 to 4.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twelve year old Max cannot believe his parents dragged him to this boring family camp. And plan to stay the whole summer! Max just has to do something to make this all tolerable. So he reinvents himself into Mad Max. He is not the bad boy of the camp. He is fearless and daring and cool. But can he keep this up?

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hated Mad Max so much! but kind of enjoyed reading about Max. Can't understand the bully, even though you kind of know more about him at the end. And hated that a lot of things weren't wrapped up which could lead to a sequel, but I just wasn't satisfied. hope there is another then I'd probably enjoy the whole story better. :) "Never, ever, ever put a sharpened pencil under somebody's butt."

[Lynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

About 8th grade Max who becomes Mad Max when he goes to a summer camp program for families before 8th grade. He decides he can be whoever he wants and he doesn't have to be shy or the "good" kid. He learns lots of valuable lessons along the way. A great coming of age type of story. Lots of funny footnotes with interesting ponderings!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hands down the best book for kids 8-13 since Harry Potter. No wizards or vampires, but it cracks me up every time I read it. And there's that one chapter where I always cry, even tho' I know exactly what's coming. Every kid I know loves this book, too, maybe for different reasons.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was really hard for me to get into. The tone was so conversational and the footnotes incredibly annoying. He grew on me as I read, and by the end, I adjusted to the footnotes and liked the characters more. Almost like being in someone's notebook.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not that great. The footnotes were fun at first, but they got really old, really fast. My only other complaint is that I wouldn't feel comfortable book talking this to a 5th or 6th grader because it has cuss words in it. Not terrible ones, but they are still there.

[Brain Annex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok but not fabulous. Wanted to like it more than I did.

[Jen Sprenzel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave it 3 stars, but I'm pretty sure kids would give it 4 or 5.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was amusing, but the footnotes got old very quickly. It was a pain to read on my e-reader. I can't bring myself to finish it.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute but the footnotes while funny are distracting and make the book hard to read.

[Mariana Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME book! For the kid inside me it was fantastic and as a mom of two small boys it was a great summer read! Highly recommended!!!

[Briana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Footnotes as clever asides, this book failed to hold my attention. :/

[Janna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book, but it was hard to tread because the author drifted off topic a lot.