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The Twinkie Squad
A humorous, triumphant story from the author of Beware the Fish. Thrown out of every school he's ever gone to, Douglas Fairchild finally lands in a public school where he transforms a group of excluded misfits (and their guidance counselors) into the most desirable clique on campus.
208 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 1992
About the author
Gordon Korman
237 books4,717 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
September 6, 2026
✰ 5 stars ✰
My love story with Gordon Korman began one unsuspecting afternoon, when I, the voracious 12-year-old 7th-grade reader that I was, was casually browsing the JF section in the library when my fingers brushed over a book that would forever steal my heart and make me a lifelong dedicated fan of an author that even now has me doing the jig at each new book release. 💃🏻
And last week, when there was a 6-hour power outage due to some maintenance work, and my phone battery was nearing depletion, lying backwards on my bed, I looked up at my bookshelf, and it caught my eye - the spine so creased, it might just fold apart if I opened it any further. Yet in the absence of electricity and technology, it called to me for yet another reread. 😌
11yo, 5'11", Douglas Fairchild may be a blob of something different from the most American family ever. Yet his defining characteristic that he guards with pride is that he's fiercely devoted to documenting The History of Pefkakia (his place of birth) in a yellow binder that he'll protect with his life and wouldn't drop it for anything. 🙂↕️
Anything that also includes taking a basketball to the nose, dramatically setting off his postnasal drip, which was only thrown with that think-fast mentality from his fellow 6th grader, Armando, aka Commando Rivera, the only 11yo politics cheerleader in America, a fervent fan of Douglas's famous ambassador of a father, too. 🏛️
“The important thing was the freedom to frolic.”
Which un(depending on who you ask) fortunately spared neither - for different reasons, ofc - from being recruited to attend guidance counselors' Martin and Julia Richardson's after-school Special Discussions Group, aka The Twinkie Squad.
A middle-grade read for all ages, it will make you laugh, chuckle, chortle, and smile just getting to hang out with this band of misfits. 😆 Led by one who is either the smartest idiot or the dumbest genius in the world. It's quintessential GK. Before, when multi-povs didn't need chapter intros to change perspective, it was done in a seamless shift.
The comedic timing? Golden. The zingers? Like.no.other. 🤌🏻 The message gained through the battles stormed and forged - the sense of belonging, togetherness, responsibility, a sense for who they are is still so important and integral thirty years since it was initially written.
“Historians often leave out the details that dramatists consider the most important.”
You might even want to strangle Douglas at times, whose way of solving problems might not always be in everyone's best interests. But then you can also be Armando, who couldn't help but smile thinking of…stupid Doug, the cause of this mess, was the only guy on earth who might be able to out-twinkie the Twinkies? Their friendship was so fresh and fun. It's amazing how much I've memorized that I still never get tired of it. 😌
It's the reveal behind the cryptic yellow binder that will have you grinning or even groaning; it's the stink of garlic squid with mango and banana that terrorized the school, and it's his revolutionary creativity all in the name of Pefkakia for his Grand Knights of Karpoozi that never gets old. 😏 So many moments so subtly humorous that remain unrivaled for me.
But the piece de resistance will always belong to his revision version of the play, 1776, his unique creative liberties with his performance as George Washington that will always deserve a standing ovation from me. From pick a card, any card to The British are coming! - truly one of a kind. 🫰🏻
Reviewer Note: Reading a population of five billion certainly put time in perspective! 😅 Not to mention encountering a proofreading typo in my Apple paperback, which, oh so happened to be a missing quotation mark. Scandalous! 😱
“All I've ever done is try to proceed with Pefkakian dignity against bizarre and sometimes impossible odds.”
My love story with Gordon Korman began one unsuspecting afternoon, when I, the voracious 12-year-old 7th-grade reader that I was, was casually browsing the JF section in the library when my fingers brushed over a book that would forever steal my heart and make me a lifelong dedicated fan of an author that even now has me doing the jig at each new book release. 💃🏻
And last week, when there was a 6-hour power outage due to some maintenance work, and my phone battery was nearing depletion, lying backwards on my bed, I looked up at my bookshelf, and it caught my eye - the spine so creased, it might just fold apart if I opened it any further. Yet in the absence of electricity and technology, it called to me for yet another reread. 😌
11yo, 5'11", Douglas Fairchild may be a blob of something different from the most American family ever. Yet his defining characteristic that he guards with pride is that he's fiercely devoted to documenting The History of Pefkakia (his place of birth) in a yellow binder that he'll protect with his life and wouldn't drop it for anything. 🙂↕️
Anything that also includes taking a basketball to the nose, dramatically setting off his postnasal drip, which was only thrown with that think-fast mentality from his fellow 6th grader, Armando, aka Commando Rivera, the only 11yo politics cheerleader in America, a fervent fan of Douglas's famous ambassador of a father, too. 🏛️
“The important thing was the freedom to frolic.”
Which un(depending on who you ask) fortunately spared neither - for different reasons, ofc - from being recruited to attend guidance counselors' Martin and Julia Richardson's after-school Special Discussions Group, aka The Twinkie Squad.
A middle-grade read for all ages, it will make you laugh, chuckle, chortle, and smile just getting to hang out with this band of misfits. 😆 Led by one who is either the smartest idiot or the dumbest genius in the world. It's quintessential GK. Before, when multi-povs didn't need chapter intros to change perspective, it was done in a seamless shift.
The comedic timing? Golden. The zingers? Like.no.other. 🤌🏻 The message gained through the battles stormed and forged - the sense of belonging, togetherness, responsibility, a sense for who they are is still so important and integral thirty years since it was initially written.
“Historians often leave out the details that dramatists consider the most important.”
You might even want to strangle Douglas at times, whose way of solving problems might not always be in everyone's best interests. But then you can also be Armando, who couldn't help but smile thinking of…stupid Doug, the cause of this mess, was the only guy on earth who might be able to out-twinkie the Twinkies? Their friendship was so fresh and fun. It's amazing how much I've memorized that I still never get tired of it. 😌
It's the reveal behind the cryptic yellow binder that will have you grinning or even groaning; it's the stink of garlic squid with mango and banana that terrorized the school, and it's his revolutionary creativity all in the name of Pefkakia for his Grand Knights of Karpoozi that never gets old. 😏 So many moments so subtly humorous that remain unrivaled for me.
But the piece de resistance will always belong to his revision version of the play, 1776, his unique creative liberties with his performance as George Washington that will always deserve a standing ovation from me. From pick a card, any card to The British are coming! - truly one of a kind. 🫰🏻
Reviewer Note: Reading a population of five billion certainly put time in perspective! 😅 Not to mention encountering a proofreading typo in my Apple paperback, which, oh so happened to be a missing quotation mark. Scandalous! 😱
January 5, 2015
I listened to this audiobook with the kids. The characters were interesting and we found ourselves laughing out loud through most of the book. A fun read!
May 29, 2013
This is an odd little book is the Korman ouvre. Most Korman books (at least before his serialized stories like Island) feature a character which is an escapist outlet--someone who a young person (or adult wanting to be young) can align with and, for the length of the novel can be someone outstanding (like Rudy from I Want To Go Home).
The Twinkie Squad is a rare break from that. While it is a funny book (though not quite the riot fest some Korman books end up being), the protagonist is someone with similarly grand ideas as the Bruno and Boots duo, but without the panche for pulling his ideas off. This creates an unusual tone for a Korman book--it's pretty disarming.
But nestled between the pages of this story is an interesting lesson. Which itself is unusual for Korman. Yet here we are, being shown that success isn't always quantifiable by the amount of crazy pranks a character can pull off, or how much book-smarts a character flashes. Instead, success is a much more nuanced thing.
Even 2/3 of the way through the book I was pretty disappointed with The Twinkie Squad. But by the end it won me over. It's a very different Korman book, but an important one.
The Twinkie Squad is a rare break from that. While it is a funny book (though not quite the riot fest some Korman books end up being), the protagonist is someone with similarly grand ideas as the Bruno and Boots duo, but without the panche for pulling his ideas off. This creates an unusual tone for a Korman book--it's pretty disarming.
But nestled between the pages of this story is an interesting lesson. Which itself is unusual for Korman. Yet here we are, being shown that success isn't always quantifiable by the amount of crazy pranks a character can pull off, or how much book-smarts a character flashes. Instead, success is a much more nuanced thing.
Even 2/3 of the way through the book I was pretty disappointed with The Twinkie Squad. But by the end it won me over. It's a very different Korman book, but an important one.
March 25, 2014
Gordon Korman fans tend to have strong feelings about his books. You can roughly divide them in half - the absolutely ridiculous, laugh until it hurts earlier books, and the somewhat more sober later ones.
This one is definitely in the first category. When I was a kid, I must have read mine a dozen times, easy. And it still more or less holds up today. There are some details that might stand out to adult readers, such as a conspicuous lack of the Internet, but I doubt most kids will notice.
Why four stars? Because much as I love Gordon Korman, I will admit that his earlier books are a little formulaic. Straight man, crazy friend, antics and plans that don't objectively make any sense! Shake well before reading. Don't get me wrong, the formula WORKS, but it doesn't add up to five stars.
This one is definitely in the first category. When I was a kid, I must have read mine a dozen times, easy. And it still more or less holds up today. There are some details that might stand out to adult readers, such as a conspicuous lack of the Internet, but I doubt most kids will notice.
Why four stars? Because much as I love Gordon Korman, I will admit that his earlier books are a little formulaic. Straight man, crazy friend, antics and plans that don't objectively make any sense! Shake well before reading. Don't get me wrong, the formula WORKS, but it doesn't add up to five stars.
September 15, 2024
Uproarious. Never mind that this, like Three Tales, depicts another kid smart-alecking his elders; something about it makes it worthwhile, redemptive, and memorable. I love it.
December 6, 2013
I read this book so I would be able to help my daughter with her book report. I really liked it. I help in the daughter's school library and see kids checking his books out all the time. Nice little book about a group of outcasts that come together to be best friends and have the school look at them in a different light. Had quite a few funny parts that I laughed out loud.
December 22, 2014
Because sometimes I just really miss the books that got me interested in reading :) This was, and remains, a childhood classic to me. So ludicrous and ridiculous and fun. I can never forget that fish in the ceiling, anytime I think about this book.
March 31, 2010
Hilarious
June 18, 2010
Everyone is really a Twinkie somewhere inside.
March 18, 2015
This book was clearly the precursor to Ungifted, and I read it a ton of times.
June 23, 2017
Delightfully stupid book. Took awhile to attach to the characters. Definitely a dated book with dated references, but enjoyable.
April 24, 2019
It was a little confusing at some of the points, other wise then that good book.
January 17, 2021
The author always writes books that are humorous on the surface but have a lot of depth. This one is no exception.
January 3, 2025
I am now over half way through the masterful pen of Gordon Korman. As of the writing of this review he has 104 books in print and 2 more announced for this year (2025). My son who is 16 still loves his books, my daughter in 13 picks and chooses, but I am trying to work my way through his complete catalogue, in my 50’s. I am just about completed the stand-alones and just have to finish his series. A few of which have been out of print for a while.
Most of the titles by Korman I have read, I read over the last 7 year. I had read a few back in 2009 when the 39 Clues first came out. I do not recall reading any when I was young, but with my dual form of dyslexia I did not read many Children’s or Middle Grade books. It was only later I learned to really read. In many ways this volume really hit home for me.
My son and I started reading Gordon Korman books together six years ago, when he was given one as an end of year gift by his teacher. She gave the whole class the same Scholastic edition and wrote a note to each student in their copy of the book.
When reading Korman books; some he reads to me, some we use adaptive technology and listen to in the car, and some I just read on my own. This one I read on my own when off work for holidays.
The description of this book states:
“Douglas Fairchild, a sixth-grade writer and dreamer thrown out of every school he has ever been to, transforms a group of excluded misfits into the hottest clique in school. Reprint. SLJ. VY.”
The description of the audio book states:
“Once again Douglas Fairchild is starting a new school in Washington, D.C. The teachers in the private schools he has attended didn’t understand him - maybe because he is from Pefkakia. Now he will make a fresh start in sixth grade at Thaddeus G. Little, a public middle school. After telling the bus driver how to drive and refusing to do his homework, Doug finds himself in the worst possible situation. He must join the after hours discussion group for misfits, better known as the Twinkie Squad. Everyone has always made fun of the Twinkies, but Doug is about to change all that.”
I have a dual form of dyslexia. I failed grade 1, was tested and they did not find anything. I was really struggling in grade 2 and my teacher pushed for me to be tested again, and they found the dyslexia. I did testing ever few years for the next 2 decades to keep up special needs status through public school, high school, and even my time at both Queen’s University and the University of Waterloo. At the end of grade school I was told I would never graduate secondary school, I graduated and had all my credits early. I did even better in university especially my second time. So what the Twinkies went through I can relate to. I went from being the youngest kid my first time in grade 1 to the oldest and biggest in the class. I had to leave class for special ed. It was not after school like in this volume. Now because I played sports like Commando, so I did not experience the bullying portrayed in the book. But lots of kids did and I saw and to be honest occasionally did it. I really wish I had been able to read when I was in grade school because books like this really help us see others in a different light.
According to Goodreads there are 8 editions of this book, as of the writing of this review. The original publisher was Scholastic, in 1984 (when I was 14) and the most recent was in 1995 with an audiobook edition in 2011. To date there has not been an eBook edition of this story.
This was one of those Korman stories that has some great laughs. But also a deep insight into human nature. It delves into the cliques at school, and the interactions across the social strata. In many ways it reminds me of Arthur Slade’s Tribes, someone looking at the world differently. In this case Douglas is hanging onto something that makes him different because he has a lot to stack up against. His friendship with Commando is fascinating and fun to watch develop. And The way he pulls the Twinkies out of their shells and forms them into a team is awesome to read as it transpires over the course of the book.
I could so easily relate too much in this volume. This was another fantastic and fun story and one that I easily recommend. It is another great Middle Grade read from Korman! I absolutely loved it.
Most of the titles by Korman I have read, I read over the last 7 year. I had read a few back in 2009 when the 39 Clues first came out. I do not recall reading any when I was young, but with my dual form of dyslexia I did not read many Children’s or Middle Grade books. It was only later I learned to really read. In many ways this volume really hit home for me.
My son and I started reading Gordon Korman books together six years ago, when he was given one as an end of year gift by his teacher. She gave the whole class the same Scholastic edition and wrote a note to each student in their copy of the book.
When reading Korman books; some he reads to me, some we use adaptive technology and listen to in the car, and some I just read on my own. This one I read on my own when off work for holidays.
The description of this book states:
“Douglas Fairchild, a sixth-grade writer and dreamer thrown out of every school he has ever been to, transforms a group of excluded misfits into the hottest clique in school. Reprint. SLJ. VY.”
The description of the audio book states:
“Once again Douglas Fairchild is starting a new school in Washington, D.C. The teachers in the private schools he has attended didn’t understand him - maybe because he is from Pefkakia. Now he will make a fresh start in sixth grade at Thaddeus G. Little, a public middle school. After telling the bus driver how to drive and refusing to do his homework, Doug finds himself in the worst possible situation. He must join the after hours discussion group for misfits, better known as the Twinkie Squad. Everyone has always made fun of the Twinkies, but Doug is about to change all that.”
I have a dual form of dyslexia. I failed grade 1, was tested and they did not find anything. I was really struggling in grade 2 and my teacher pushed for me to be tested again, and they found the dyslexia. I did testing ever few years for the next 2 decades to keep up special needs status through public school, high school, and even my time at both Queen’s University and the University of Waterloo. At the end of grade school I was told I would never graduate secondary school, I graduated and had all my credits early. I did even better in university especially my second time. So what the Twinkies went through I can relate to. I went from being the youngest kid my first time in grade 1 to the oldest and biggest in the class. I had to leave class for special ed. It was not after school like in this volume. Now because I played sports like Commando, so I did not experience the bullying portrayed in the book. But lots of kids did and I saw and to be honest occasionally did it. I really wish I had been able to read when I was in grade school because books like this really help us see others in a different light.
According to Goodreads there are 8 editions of this book, as of the writing of this review. The original publisher was Scholastic, in 1984 (when I was 14) and the most recent was in 1995 with an audiobook edition in 2011. To date there has not been an eBook edition of this story.
This was one of those Korman stories that has some great laughs. But also a deep insight into human nature. It delves into the cliques at school, and the interactions across the social strata. In many ways it reminds me of Arthur Slade’s Tribes, someone looking at the world differently. In this case Douglas is hanging onto something that makes him different because he has a lot to stack up against. His friendship with Commando is fascinating and fun to watch develop. And The way he pulls the Twinkies out of their shells and forms them into a team is awesome to read as it transpires over the course of the book.
I could so easily relate too much in this volume. This was another fantastic and fun story and one that I easily recommend. It is another great Middle Grade read from Korman! I absolutely loved it.
December 1, 2023
Possibly the best of Korman's works for middle schoolers in his classic period: not as screamingly funny as "I Want To Go Home", but with superior depth and characterization. It combines two of his favorite templates, the odd-couple friends and the band of misfits. The former are Commando, a recognizable jock type, bad at staying out of trouble without actually being a bad guy, and Douglas, a genuine eccentric who is obsessed with the (imaginary) country of Pefkakia; the latter are the titular squad, members of the school's special discussion group, a support group for students with special needs. The squad are the weakest part of the group, due to Korman's difficulty in coming up with students who recognizably could be in such a group while also not necessarily requiring professional help. Yolanda, for instance, is obsessed with movies: it's hard to see how this would qualify her for membership in the group. But this is more than made up for by Commando and Douglas. In particular, Douglas is far better as a plot-motor character than most similar such characters in Korman books, his actions clearly those of a lonely boy trying desperately to prove that he is just as special as everyone else in his high-achieving family. And while everything that happens follows from something that Douglas does, almost none of it is deliberate: happenstance and bad luck give Douglas's run-of-the-mill bad ideas quite different, and almost invariably hilarious, consequences. As always, Korman keeps the plot moving well, and at this point he was still very funny: plus, the school scenes are more convincing than usual. It's really unfortunate that Korman stopped writing books like this about 25 years ago: I was about the same age as its characters when I first read it, shortly after it came out, and I've been rereading with the same level of enjoyment ever since.
June 23, 2021
This was one of my favoueite childhood novels. I would sneak read it during class and get in trouble for giggling.
20ish years from the first time I read it and it still holds up. Yes, some of it is dated (it is set in 1992 sonthat is expected) but most of the humour still lands ans I still root for the Twinkie Squad.
My next Gordon Korman book will I want to Go Home as I still own that (torn up and taped up, lol) and I need to see if I still have my bruno and boots books or if they went the way of my babysitter's club books.
20ish years from the first time I read it and it still holds up. Yes, some of it is dated (it is set in 1992 sonthat is expected) but most of the humour still lands ans I still root for the Twinkie Squad.
My next Gordon Korman book will I want to Go Home as I still own that (torn up and taped up, lol) and I need to see if I still have my bruno and boots books or if they went the way of my babysitter's club books.
August 7, 2022
I picked this up at the thrift store when they were having a special sale on books. I read it out loud to the children, who loved it and laughed through out. I had read it as a kid, but that was long enough ago that I had forgotten most of the story. It's a lot of fun, but some of it does feel rather dated.
Douglas, the son of an ambassador, ends up at public school after being kicked out of a number of private school. There he is placed in 'the Special Discussion Group' AKA 'the Twinkie Squad' where his well meaning antics create chaos.
Douglas, the son of an ambassador, ends up at public school after being kicked out of a number of private school. There he is placed in 'the Special Discussion Group' AKA 'the Twinkie Squad' where his well meaning antics create chaos.
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December 12, 2022This is an awesome book about misunderstood kids who prove everybody wrong. My favorite character is commando because he has such hard life but is still grateful for what he has. I liked this book because they have multiple secrets that only the reader and characters know which bond them together. This book would be a good book for someone who likes a funny and adventurous book. I would give this book a 8.5 out of 10 because it was a good book but there were a couple things I would change, like the introduction, which started off pretty slow.
May 28, 2025
Actual rating: 3.5
One of the books I thought was SO funny as a kid that I read the whole thing out loud a chapter at a time to the rest of my family. I figured I probably wouldn't find it quite as amusing rereading it as an adult, and I was right, but there were still a few bits that made me giggle out loud, and some moments I'd forgotten at the end that I found surprisingly sweet. The whole thing definitely feels like a teen comedy movie, and honestly I would be down to watch an adaptation in the unlikely event that one ever gets made.
One of the books I thought was SO funny as a kid that I read the whole thing out loud a chapter at a time to the rest of my family. I figured I probably wouldn't find it quite as amusing rereading it as an adult, and I was right, but there were still a few bits that made me giggle out loud, and some moments I'd forgotten at the end that I found surprisingly sweet. The whole thing definitely feels like a teen comedy movie, and honestly I would be down to watch an adaptation in the unlikely event that one ever gets made.
July 30, 2021
This book is such a nice little gem, I saw it mentioned randomly in a different book's review and the name and vibe immediately caught my attention. Douglas has got to be one of the most amusing characters I've seen, by the end of the book I still couldn't tell if the guy was a whole dummy or a genius, one thing for sure though is that he was entertaining as hell. Highly recommended for people who enjoy a lighthearted story with a quirky main character and focus on friendship.
April 13, 2026
Laughed my ass off reading this. The whole Pefkakia bit with Douglas had me dying—he commits so hard to the fake country that everyone else just gets swept up in it.
The garlic squid in the ceiling was peak chaos, and watching the entire school spiral because of it was hilarious. And the payoff with the Twinkie Squad flipping the script on everyone? So satisfying.
On top of that, the characters are genuinely lovable. Classic Korman underdog energy—funny, chaotic, and just a great time.
The garlic squid in the ceiling was peak chaos, and watching the entire school spiral because of it was hilarious. And the payoff with the Twinkie Squad flipping the script on everyone? So satisfying.
On top of that, the characters are genuinely lovable. Classic Korman underdog energy—funny, chaotic, and just a great time.
January 10, 2019
I loved this book. It was one of the funniest books I have ever read. I recommend it to everyone ever except people with no sense of humor. I am a little disappointed that they resigned as the Exalted Grand Knights of Karpoozi, even if it did make everyone else in the school a member of the Twinkie Squad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2021
Gordon Korman remains my favorite author of all time, and I still haven't read all his old stuff, that he wrote as a teenager. Those are the best! The Twinkie Squad was new for me but had me giggling out loud, as always. The characters are quirky and unique, the situations are ridiculous, and there is heartfelt love and growth.
January 20, 2024
Actual rating 2 1/2 stars. So stupid that is funny and so ridiculous that it's enjoyable . It is the Wedesday wars but only the crazy parts . The only Gordon book that make me think that he wrote this book while high.
April 28, 2024
This was a good audiobook to read with my son. It held our interest as we followed the tale of an awkward kid learning to make friends with a diverse group of students. My son said it was excellent and most nights he would be asking me to keep going well past our reading time.
October 18, 2018
Gordon Korman is pretty funny. The main character is quirky. Zany antics.
November 24, 2019
Another one of my favorites from Gordon Korman! I was dying of laughter in the part with George Washington and his exploding pants. my mom actually came into my room to see if I was okay. Great book!
July 11, 2020
The Twinkie Squad has always been made fun of but at the end every one ended up in the Twinkie Squad!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2020
I listened to the audio book so many times as a kid and am pleased to say the story holds up in all its ridiculous glory. I think about that squid in the ceiling all the time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews