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Sidetracked
To Joseph Friedman, middle school might as well be the Running of the Bulls. He’s friendless and puny, with ADD to boot, so he spends most of his time avoiding class bully Charlie Kastner and hiding out in the Resource Room, a safe place for misfit kids like him. But then, on the first day of seventh grade, two important things happen. First, his Resource Room teacher Mrs. T encourages (i.e., practically forces) him to join the school track team, and second, he meets Heather, a tough, athletic new girl who isn’t going to be pushed around by Charlie Kastner—or anybody else.
At first, track is as much of a disaster as everything else in Joseph’s life. But slowly Joseph hits his stride, and instead of running from the bulls . . . he’s just running.
At first, track is as much of a disaster as everything else in Joseph’s life. But slowly Joseph hits his stride, and instead of running from the bulls . . . he’s just running.
188 pages, Hardcover
First published August 22, 2017
85 people are currently reading
1200 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
November 29, 2018
This book is very good its a highly recommended book. Joesph the main character has a phobea to everything. But when he meats a girl heather all his fears go away
June 30, 2017
// Received an advance readers copy in exchange for a fair review //
Someone love me as much as Joseph loves Heather please.
Joseph and Heather were just so good for each other and the story in general. They grew up so well and the character development was amazing and so clearly seen. Even the characters we written so well. I just absolutely adored the characters here *cough* Charlie *cough*. I ended up enjoying Charlie's character in the end of the book.
The writing style did not bore me at all and I found myself being widely amused at a lot of parts. Julian was the key to this amusement of mine.
I love how the book focused on having someone there to push you to do your best and catch you whenever we fall. I have always liked books that focuses a lot more on the friendship of the characters more than the romantic side, even though this did include some parts that were romanticized. For me, I was just struck more on Heather and Joseph as partners and friends than them being a couple.
This is was a really great middle-grade, coming of age type of read. This book is for those who are looking for a sporty read and for those who feel like giving up on whatever 'thing' they are focused on. Whether it be liberal arts, performing arts, music, sports, writing, or just whatever your thing is.
"I guess there's a line that even bullies know not to cross:"
"Maybe the rules change when you grow up. Maybe there are times when you can quit, for a while at least. But I don't think you should be allowed to quit on people. And nobody should be allowed to quit on Heather."
Someone love me as much as Joseph loves Heather please.
Joseph and Heather were just so good for each other and the story in general. They grew up so well and the character development was amazing and so clearly seen. Even the characters we written so well. I just absolutely adored the characters here *cough* Charlie *cough*. I ended up enjoying Charlie's character in the end of the book.
The writing style did not bore me at all and I found myself being widely amused at a lot of parts. Julian was the key to this amusement of mine.
I love how the book focused on having someone there to push you to do your best and catch you whenever we fall. I have always liked books that focuses a lot more on the friendship of the characters more than the romantic side, even though this did include some parts that were romanticized. For me, I was just struck more on Heather and Joseph as partners and friends than them being a couple.
This is was a really great middle-grade, coming of age type of read. This book is for those who are looking for a sporty read and for those who feel like giving up on whatever 'thing' they are focused on. Whether it be liberal arts, performing arts, music, sports, writing, or just whatever your thing is.
"I guess there's a line that even bullies know not to cross:"
October 14, 2024
Good book 👌
December 31, 2018
I absolutely LOVED this book. It was utterly charming, and I laughed out loud so many times! I also was teary from page 105 on.......so good. It honestly gave me a different perspective about how kids with special challenges end up just navigating their every day relationships and their school days. Great read for kids and adults alike. Next to Eric Bell's "Alan Cole Is Not A Coward", this was my feel good book of the year.
August 18, 2020
Wonderful read! Explores the idea of intellectual and ability diversity. It was a joy to read.
June 14, 2019
2. Choose a character you’d like or not like to have as a friend. Tell why.
After reading Sidetracked written by Diana Harmon Asher, one character I’d like to have as a friend from the book would be Heather. Heather is the new student at school who gets noticed in gym class for knocking over the school bully right as he was about to knock over our main character, Joseph Friedman. Saving his life, essentially, Joseph tries to befriend Heather, and their friendship establishes after joining the track team together. Throughout the book, Heather has Josephs best interest in mind and pushes him out if his comfort zone in multiple aspects of his life. She does not let him settle for less than he deserves by asking him why he allows himself to be pushed around and encouraging to push beyond his own limits in sports, academics and in making friends. Heather really changed Joseph into a more confident and happier boy, without being asked or feeling any pity for him as he is known as the easy target at school. I would love to have a friend who pushes me to be a better me and stands up for me the way Heather does with Joseph. Also understanding Heather’s home life, I feel would like to be there for her as she struggles with her mom’s absence and make her feel more accepted at school sooner than Joseph did. Plus, being friends with her would give Joseph as a friend too so that is a great 2 for 1 deal, I think.
The reason I chose this alternative for the book report is because I felt that Sidetracked has a strong theme of friendship and dealing with bullies throughout the book. It covers the type of relationships our main character Joseph has with his classmates, a new student who stands up for him like no one has before, his relationship with his resource teacher and even his grandfather. The readers are able to see the type of friends Joseph has and the one he needed to thrive and grow as a person, which I felt made choosing character that I would like or not like to have as a friend was a great alternative. This allows students to think of the book content in a different way and share what they found valuable in the book, not worried about “floating on the surface of the story and cherry-pick moments that they predict they will be tested on” as Miller says in The Book Whisperer.
After reading Sidetracked written by Diana Harmon Asher, one character I’d like to have as a friend from the book would be Heather. Heather is the new student at school who gets noticed in gym class for knocking over the school bully right as he was about to knock over our main character, Joseph Friedman. Saving his life, essentially, Joseph tries to befriend Heather, and their friendship establishes after joining the track team together. Throughout the book, Heather has Josephs best interest in mind and pushes him out if his comfort zone in multiple aspects of his life. She does not let him settle for less than he deserves by asking him why he allows himself to be pushed around and encouraging to push beyond his own limits in sports, academics and in making friends. Heather really changed Joseph into a more confident and happier boy, without being asked or feeling any pity for him as he is known as the easy target at school. I would love to have a friend who pushes me to be a better me and stands up for me the way Heather does with Joseph. Also understanding Heather’s home life, I feel would like to be there for her as she struggles with her mom’s absence and make her feel more accepted at school sooner than Joseph did. Plus, being friends with her would give Joseph as a friend too so that is a great 2 for 1 deal, I think.
The reason I chose this alternative for the book report is because I felt that Sidetracked has a strong theme of friendship and dealing with bullies throughout the book. It covers the type of relationships our main character Joseph has with his classmates, a new student who stands up for him like no one has before, his relationship with his resource teacher and even his grandfather. The readers are able to see the type of friends Joseph has and the one he needed to thrive and grow as a person, which I felt made choosing character that I would like or not like to have as a friend was a great alternative. This allows students to think of the book content in a different way and share what they found valuable in the book, not worried about “floating on the surface of the story and cherry-pick moments that they predict they will be tested on” as Miller says in The Book Whisperer.
January 4, 2021
*This book was read as part of Middle Grade Madness’s 2021 TBR Challenge*
This was not what I expected but not necessarily in a bad way. It was really hard one to judge this because it wasn’t good enough for 4 stars but not bad enough for simply 3. I guess this was much more like 3.5 stars.
The ADD representation here was fantastic and I definitely learnt a lot about ADD and how it affects people.
Joseph and Heather’s friendship was a strange one. Definitely unconventional, so much so that you could even say it wasn’t much of a friendship at all. It was like the author had cut out scenes that proved they really were friends because overall they seemed to only coexist to motivate each other to run whilst Heather low-key bullied Joseph into improving himself.
The ending was a little rushed and happily ever after but seeing Joseph confront the Brockton bully made it alright. The epilogue left me wanting to see what would happen next but I fear a sequel wouldn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table, so we’ll just leave it up to the imagination.
This was not what I expected but not necessarily in a bad way. It was really hard one to judge this because it wasn’t good enough for 4 stars but not bad enough for simply 3. I guess this was much more like 3.5 stars.
The ADD representation here was fantastic and I definitely learnt a lot about ADD and how it affects people.
Joseph and Heather’s friendship was a strange one. Definitely unconventional, so much so that you could even say it wasn’t much of a friendship at all. It was like the author had cut out scenes that proved they really were friends because overall they seemed to only coexist to motivate each other to run whilst Heather low-key bullied Joseph into improving himself.
The ending was a little rushed and happily ever after but seeing Joseph confront the Brockton bully made it alright. The epilogue left me wanting to see what would happen next but I fear a sequel wouldn’t bring anything new or exciting to the table, so we’ll just leave it up to the imagination.
August 7, 2017
Thanks to the #kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own!
•
Joseph Friedman is officially diagnosed with ADD, which doesn't necessarily mean that he can't concentrate on things. He can concentrate all right - just on the wrong things. Between his phobias and quirks, he isn't high on the social ladder at school. He never wins anything, is constantly humiliated in gym class, and only feels like himself in the resource room. This changes when, on the first day of seventh grade, his resource teacher encourages him to go out for the school's inaugural cross country team. Joseph has never run, but he likes the idea of shooting for a PR (personal record) each meet instead of worrying about placing. Things are further changed when he meets the new girl, Heather. She is a stellar runner and for some reason, she wants to be his friend. Told with wit and humor, this is a totally relatable story for middle school readers. It reminds me a lot of Jordan Sonnenblick and Gary D. Schmidt's books, which are super popular in my library. I cannot wait to share this with my students when it releases on 8/22! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
•
Joseph Friedman is officially diagnosed with ADD, which doesn't necessarily mean that he can't concentrate on things. He can concentrate all right - just on the wrong things. Between his phobias and quirks, he isn't high on the social ladder at school. He never wins anything, is constantly humiliated in gym class, and only feels like himself in the resource room. This changes when, on the first day of seventh grade, his resource teacher encourages him to go out for the school's inaugural cross country team. Joseph has never run, but he likes the idea of shooting for a PR (personal record) each meet instead of worrying about placing. Things are further changed when he meets the new girl, Heather. She is a stellar runner and for some reason, she wants to be his friend. Told with wit and humor, this is a totally relatable story for middle school readers. It reminds me a lot of Jordan Sonnenblick and Gary D. Schmidt's books, which are super popular in my library. I cannot wait to share this with my students when it releases on 8/22! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
June 30, 2017
*Thanks to NetGalley and Amulet Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
Sidetracked tells the story of seventh grader, Joseph Friedman. Joseph has ADD and basically feels like he is failing at life. He struggles in school, is hopeless on the sporting field as is easy prey for school bullies. When a new girl, Heather, moves to Lakeview Middle School, things start to look up for young Joseph. What follows is an enjoyable and heart-warming story. Whilst the novel is pitched at middle school students, as a middle school teacher, I got a lot from it. Joseph's description of everyday life with ADD and the casual cruelty of both children and adults around him really made me think. I highly recommend the book to both middle school students, teachers and parents of children with ADD. In the words of Joseph, "People think having ADD means I can't focus, but that's not really true. I focus very well - just on the wrong things."
Sidetracked tells the story of seventh grader, Joseph Friedman. Joseph has ADD and basically feels like he is failing at life. He struggles in school, is hopeless on the sporting field as is easy prey for school bullies. When a new girl, Heather, moves to Lakeview Middle School, things start to look up for young Joseph. What follows is an enjoyable and heart-warming story. Whilst the novel is pitched at middle school students, as a middle school teacher, I got a lot from it. Joseph's description of everyday life with ADD and the casual cruelty of both children and adults around him really made me think. I highly recommend the book to both middle school students, teachers and parents of children with ADD. In the words of Joseph, "People think having ADD means I can't focus, but that's not really true. I focus very well - just on the wrong things."
October 23, 2024
I picked this book up because it was a story about running. It turned out to be really good. The characters were interesting and dealt with real life issues middle school kids encountered. The main character has ADD and it was encouraging reading his journey. There were a couple of words I don’t think appropriate for a middle school audience. Overall, I recommend this little novel.
June 6, 2019
This was a quick and really fun read that did a great job tapping into what living with ADD is like without it becoming an overwhelming and heavy book about Living With ADD. The characters were fun and engaging without becoming caricatures.
October 25, 2017
Great story of friendship and perseverance!
September 19, 2019
The cross country runner in me loved this book.
March 30, 2025
This was a really enjoyable middle level read! I loved the strength the character found through his journey on the cross country team♥️
July 25, 2023
Love Josef’s honesty and loyalty to friends
May 27, 2019
I couldn’t put this book down! The first day after I brought home from the library, I went through half the book! As I read, I cheered for Joseph and his team. It’s a quick read, and fairly predictable, but I would recommend to anyone who was looking for something to read.
January 17, 2018
It isn't always about winning. In fact, it's usually about achieving a PR (personal record). And not just in cross-country running, but in life.
February 14, 2019
Joseph has a hard time in school. He can't pay attention in class and the bullies love to torment him. Heather is the new girl in school, but when the bullies decide to make her a target, they may just get more than they bargained for. A wonderful story of friendship, respecting differences, and putting in the effort to achieve your dreams. Amazing adult characters and lots of humor elevate this book a notch above the rest.
July 31, 2017
[I received a digital advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
This is a story of overcoming obstacles, friendship, and comraderie. Seventh-grader Joseph Friedman faces many challenges; he has ADD as well as sensory and anxiety issues, is small, skinny, and weak, and is often made fun of by the kids at school. He is amazed by Heather, the new girl who is tall, strong, and takes no crap from anyone. Joseph ends up joining the cross-country team, after his Resource Room teacher practically forces him to. But, Joseph is pleasantly surprised to find that not only is his teacher the coach, but that Heather is also on the team. And, other than Heather, most of the other kids are not particularly great athletes. They all begin to gel as a team, supporting and encouraging each other, and Joseph discovers he can do more than he ever thought possible.
I loved this book! I was not an athlete, but I find that I often enjoy sports-related books and movies. There is just something about the comraderie and pushing one's self physically and mentally, and everyone loves an underdog. While I was never an athlete myself, my kids did cross-country and track, and I worked many a cross-country meet as a parent and also helped coach the middle school track team, and this book gave a very realistic portrayal of what cross-country is like. It is generally an overlooked sport, and doesn't get the recognition and glory that football, basketball, and soccer do, but it is often a safe haven for those who may not be exceptional athletes, but are willing to train and try their best. Runners are generally very encouraging and supportive of each other, even if they are not on the same team, and the focus is on achieving a personal best for most runners.
The story moved along at a satisfying pace, and the characters were well-developed and realistic, not caricatures as they often seem in middle-grade books. I loved seeing the relationship Jospeh had with his grandfather, and the friendship that developed between him and Heather. Heather reminded me very much of my own daughter, who is also very athletic and tough, and I could totally see punching a bully in the face. I liked that the outcome was completely realistic. {Spoiler} Joseph did not become Mr. Popularity, or miraculously win a huge race, but he did form some new friendships, become stronger both physically and mentally, and learned not only to stand up for himself, but that he could do more than he thought. I think readers will be very satisfied with the ending.
I loved this book, and I think it could appeal to a fairly wide range of readers who might find it inspiring: those who feel like they don't quite fit in, those who enjoy sports stories, those who are runners themselves, those who can relate to or like to root for the underdog, and those who need a push to challenge themselves. I would recommend it for ages 10-14, and it should appeal to boys and girls equally. A great middle-school read!
This is a story of overcoming obstacles, friendship, and comraderie. Seventh-grader Joseph Friedman faces many challenges; he has ADD as well as sensory and anxiety issues, is small, skinny, and weak, and is often made fun of by the kids at school. He is amazed by Heather, the new girl who is tall, strong, and takes no crap from anyone. Joseph ends up joining the cross-country team, after his Resource Room teacher practically forces him to. But, Joseph is pleasantly surprised to find that not only is his teacher the coach, but that Heather is also on the team. And, other than Heather, most of the other kids are not particularly great athletes. They all begin to gel as a team, supporting and encouraging each other, and Joseph discovers he can do more than he ever thought possible.
I loved this book! I was not an athlete, but I find that I often enjoy sports-related books and movies. There is just something about the comraderie and pushing one's self physically and mentally, and everyone loves an underdog. While I was never an athlete myself, my kids did cross-country and track, and I worked many a cross-country meet as a parent and also helped coach the middle school track team, and this book gave a very realistic portrayal of what cross-country is like. It is generally an overlooked sport, and doesn't get the recognition and glory that football, basketball, and soccer do, but it is often a safe haven for those who may not be exceptional athletes, but are willing to train and try their best. Runners are generally very encouraging and supportive of each other, even if they are not on the same team, and the focus is on achieving a personal best for most runners.
The story moved along at a satisfying pace, and the characters were well-developed and realistic, not caricatures as they often seem in middle-grade books. I loved seeing the relationship Jospeh had with his grandfather, and the friendship that developed between him and Heather. Heather reminded me very much of my own daughter, who is also very athletic and tough, and I could totally see punching a bully in the face. I liked that the outcome was completely realistic. {Spoiler} Joseph did not become Mr. Popularity, or miraculously win a huge race, but he did form some new friendships, become stronger both physically and mentally, and learned not only to stand up for himself, but that he could do more than he thought. I think readers will be very satisfied with the ending.
I loved this book, and I think it could appeal to a fairly wide range of readers who might find it inspiring: those who feel like they don't quite fit in, those who enjoy sports stories, those who are runners themselves, those who can relate to or like to root for the underdog, and those who need a push to challenge themselves. I would recommend it for ages 10-14, and it should appeal to boys and girls equally. A great middle-school read!
June 4, 2018
Joseph isn't the smartest seventh grader, or the strongest or the fastest but when both his resource teacher and his new friend encourage him to join the track and cross country team he discovers that he can be the best at being himself.
I loved this book. It was funny and sweet and made me happy cry. Joseph's relationships with his grandpa, his parents, and his new friends swirl together to create a wonderful novel about the challenges of being different and the strength your differences can give you. I especially loved the parallel story of Joseph's grandpa. It highlighted the themes and showed just how important it is to be yourself.
There is never any question as to whether or not Joseph will come in first. His ADD keeps making him zigzag off the path. But readers will cheer for him anyway -- "You look terrible. Awful. But you're going to finish."
Go read this book.
I loved this book. It was funny and sweet and made me happy cry. Joseph's relationships with his grandpa, his parents, and his new friends swirl together to create a wonderful novel about the challenges of being different and the strength your differences can give you. I especially loved the parallel story of Joseph's grandpa. It highlighted the themes and showed just how important it is to be yourself.
There is never any question as to whether or not Joseph will come in first. His ADD keeps making him zigzag off the path. But readers will cheer for him anyway -- "You look terrible. Awful. But you're going to finish."
Go read this book.
February 26, 2019
My 8 year old daughter has severe dyslexia, anxiety, and depression. She struggles to read, so we read this book together. She LOVED it. When Joseph starts his anxiously rambling about all the things that could wrong, she relates. When he struggles to make friends or feel people dislike him, she sees herself. What I love about it is even though Joseph struggles and wants to give up running, he keeps going--my daughter (as well as myself, if I'm honest) struggles with not being perfect and wanting to give up. We both can relate deeply to Joseph, making this a great read-aloud choice for us both. Highly recommend for older children/preteens with anxiety, ADD/ADHD, and other issues, it's both funny and relatable.
May 29, 2022
If I were to rate this book, I would give it a 3.9 out of 5.
I liked this book a lot!
It was cute, engaging, and funny at times.
I liked the characters, especially the grandpa.
He was so funny!
Heather was also a good character.
She was very blunt and direct, like when she told Joseph to have a banana or an orange.
It sounded like an insult (even to me), but it was actually a helpful health tip for when you get a stitch.
I also thought it was sweet how his teammates helped him get over the sound of the bell in the end.
It was nice of them.
I hope they all become friends so that Joseph won't be lonely.
I also hope that Diana Harmon Asher will write a sequel for this book!
I liked this book a lot!
It was cute, engaging, and funny at times.
I liked the characters, especially the grandpa.
He was so funny!
Heather was also a good character.
She was very blunt and direct, like when she told Joseph to have a banana or an orange.
It sounded like an insult (even to me), but it was actually a helpful health tip for when you get a stitch.
I also thought it was sweet how his teammates helped him get over the sound of the bell in the end.
It was nice of them.
I hope they all become friends so that Joseph won't be lonely.
I also hope that Diana Harmon Asher will write a sequel for this book!
Read
February 15, 2020Sidetracked
Joseph, a middle schooler with ADD struggles to find a place where he is accepted and can be himself. Often times, he hides out in the resource room with his teacher avoiding middle-school life and the school bully, Charlie. Until one day, Heather, arrives at school and his teacher forces him to join the track team. Unathletic and uncoordinated, Joseph, can barely survive a practice and wants to give up, but continues to preserver and achieve his PR (personal record) each time with his new track friends and Heather by his side.
The Perfect Score
A group of sixth graders are unwillingly forced into Mrs. Woods classroom when they find out the favorite teacher has left. At first, the students are dreading being in the classroom with a once retired teacher, but soon come to realize Mrs. Woods has many lessons to teach and helps students find joy in school again. However, with state testing approaching, and the pressure to pass, the school has taken away recess, birthday parties, the possibility of playing football or other extra-curricular activities. The very different students of Mrs. Woods class come together to assure that they find a way to pass the state tests and to make sure none of that happens.
The Vanderbeekers
Four and a half days before Christmas, the five Vanderbeeker kids receive some devastating news from their parents. Mr. Beiderman, their landlord, has refused to renew their lease and they must find a new place to live by Christmas. Confused and angry the Vanderbeeker kids come up with a plan to convince Mr. Beiderman to let them stay. With time running out, and their plan not working, they discover why their landlord hasn’t left the top floor apartment in so many years and the forceful move.
Connection
The commonality between these three titles is that they are all realistic fiction. Each of these books have the potential to happen in real life. For example, in Sidetracked, many kids can and probably do feel like Joseph on a regular basis. Unable to fit in, defined by a label of “resource”, and a school bully to make fun of them. It is a reality of many of our students, and an inspiring story to not let those things define you. In The Perfect Score, so much of our jobs is focused on testing. We recently just took our winter map test, my ESL students are currently taking the ELPA, when we return from winter break NSCAS state testing will start up, and then once again we will end the year with spring MAP testing and benchmarking. So much pressure is placed on the students, teachers, administration, and district to perform that some will go to extraordinary lengths to find a way to pass. When do we start to realize with so much testing, the joy, creativity, and fun is getting sucked out of school? Lastly, in The Vanderbeekers, a family is forcefully being displaced from the only home they have known. I have had many kids who have been evicted, victims of fires, and forcefully moved.
Response Method
The response method that I chose is Literature Circles. I chose literature circles because I currently implement reading responses in my classroom. I have found that students are becoming increasing disengaged, probably because of boredom, and need a change. I also chose literature circles because I have a high number of ESL students, and a variety of ability levels. By choosing literature circles it provides an opportunity for students to interact with each other, hear the English language, and deepen their understanding. It is also important to make sure the literature circles are a range of ability levels. By doing this, students of all ability levels are able to participate in conversation and deepen their thinking and understanding. Currently “American fifth graders were spending 91% of their school day either listening to a teacher talk or working alone, with similar findings for 1st and 3rd graders (Marchiando, 2013, p. 13). Since students are spending the majority of their day listening to the teacher, they are not doing their own thinking, and literature circles provides this opportunity.
By using literature circles, it also provides an opportunity for teachers to hold students accountable while enjoying reading. In order to do this, students will participate in self-selecting the book they would like to read with a group of people. All reading will be done independently, and each student will be given an important role. Some examples of different roles are, connector, questioner, illustrator, word wizard, summarizer, literary luminary, and researcher. By having different roles, students are held accountable but also bringing their own unique perspective, experience, and ideas they took from the readings. To continue to keep literature circles engaging throughout the year or book, student roles will change. Students will have a packet for each book to keep track of their reading and the work they did for each role to help with assessment and comprehension during the literature circles and be turned in at the end of each book.
Citation
Marchiando, K. (2013). Creating lifelong readers: Student ownership and peer interaction in literature circles. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 41(3), 13-21.
Cox, E., & Parrish, L.A. (2010). Shifting to literature circles. School library monthly, 27(2), 43-45.
Joseph, a middle schooler with ADD struggles to find a place where he is accepted and can be himself. Often times, he hides out in the resource room with his teacher avoiding middle-school life and the school bully, Charlie. Until one day, Heather, arrives at school and his teacher forces him to join the track team. Unathletic and uncoordinated, Joseph, can barely survive a practice and wants to give up, but continues to preserver and achieve his PR (personal record) each time with his new track friends and Heather by his side.
The Perfect Score
A group of sixth graders are unwillingly forced into Mrs. Woods classroom when they find out the favorite teacher has left. At first, the students are dreading being in the classroom with a once retired teacher, but soon come to realize Mrs. Woods has many lessons to teach and helps students find joy in school again. However, with state testing approaching, and the pressure to pass, the school has taken away recess, birthday parties, the possibility of playing football or other extra-curricular activities. The very different students of Mrs. Woods class come together to assure that they find a way to pass the state tests and to make sure none of that happens.
The Vanderbeekers
Four and a half days before Christmas, the five Vanderbeeker kids receive some devastating news from their parents. Mr. Beiderman, their landlord, has refused to renew their lease and they must find a new place to live by Christmas. Confused and angry the Vanderbeeker kids come up with a plan to convince Mr. Beiderman to let them stay. With time running out, and their plan not working, they discover why their landlord hasn’t left the top floor apartment in so many years and the forceful move.
Connection
The commonality between these three titles is that they are all realistic fiction. Each of these books have the potential to happen in real life. For example, in Sidetracked, many kids can and probably do feel like Joseph on a regular basis. Unable to fit in, defined by a label of “resource”, and a school bully to make fun of them. It is a reality of many of our students, and an inspiring story to not let those things define you. In The Perfect Score, so much of our jobs is focused on testing. We recently just took our winter map test, my ESL students are currently taking the ELPA, when we return from winter break NSCAS state testing will start up, and then once again we will end the year with spring MAP testing and benchmarking. So much pressure is placed on the students, teachers, administration, and district to perform that some will go to extraordinary lengths to find a way to pass. When do we start to realize with so much testing, the joy, creativity, and fun is getting sucked out of school? Lastly, in The Vanderbeekers, a family is forcefully being displaced from the only home they have known. I have had many kids who have been evicted, victims of fires, and forcefully moved.
Response Method
The response method that I chose is Literature Circles. I chose literature circles because I currently implement reading responses in my classroom. I have found that students are becoming increasing disengaged, probably because of boredom, and need a change. I also chose literature circles because I have a high number of ESL students, and a variety of ability levels. By choosing literature circles it provides an opportunity for students to interact with each other, hear the English language, and deepen their understanding. It is also important to make sure the literature circles are a range of ability levels. By doing this, students of all ability levels are able to participate in conversation and deepen their thinking and understanding. Currently “American fifth graders were spending 91% of their school day either listening to a teacher talk or working alone, with similar findings for 1st and 3rd graders (Marchiando, 2013, p. 13). Since students are spending the majority of their day listening to the teacher, they are not doing their own thinking, and literature circles provides this opportunity.
By using literature circles, it also provides an opportunity for teachers to hold students accountable while enjoying reading. In order to do this, students will participate in self-selecting the book they would like to read with a group of people. All reading will be done independently, and each student will be given an important role. Some examples of different roles are, connector, questioner, illustrator, word wizard, summarizer, literary luminary, and researcher. By having different roles, students are held accountable but also bringing their own unique perspective, experience, and ideas they took from the readings. To continue to keep literature circles engaging throughout the year or book, student roles will change. Students will have a packet for each book to keep track of their reading and the work they did for each role to help with assessment and comprehension during the literature circles and be turned in at the end of each book.
Citation
Marchiando, K. (2013). Creating lifelong readers: Student ownership and peer interaction in literature circles. Illinois Reading Council Journal, 41(3), 13-21.
Cox, E., & Parrish, L.A. (2010). Shifting to literature circles. School library monthly, 27(2), 43-45.
July 24, 2017
There's a lot to like about this sweet, gentle debut - a winning narrator, his kick-ass new friend, his grandpa and his LD teacher/ coach. I read it in one sitting. Realistic, humorous and satisfying.
June 14, 2019
The book that I read was ‘Sidetracked’ and I honestly loved the book. I could definitely relate to the book as I myself was a runner in high school. I was able to read the book in one sitting because I could see myself in all the characters and wanted to know more as the story went on. It would be hard to pick only one character to have as a friend because I related to mostly all of them in one way shape or form. But if I could only pick one I would pick Heather. I would pick to have Heather as a friend because I found myself in similar situations that she was in as well. During the book, Heather gets elbowed and she falls down and sprains her ankle which does not allow her to run for a few days and becomes the Coach T assistant. Both these situations happened to me during my cross country and track career. During the season of cross country, I became injured with a stress fracture and my Coach made me come to practice to help out so I wouldn’t feel completely out of the picture. During one of my track meets I was also elbowed during a race and it made me feel the same way as Heather. I feel like Heather and I would have so much to talk about and she would offer great advice. Unlike Heather, I didn’t do much about when I got elbowed and I feel like Heather would give me the confidence to speak up. Heathers isn't afraid to put herself out there and stand up for others. She is very confident in herself and her potential which is something that I sometimes lack. I would love to have advice from Heather the way she gave Joseph advice. It wasn’t only running advice but it was advice that would help Joseph grow as a person. She really wanted the best for Joseph and I could tell by the way she was when she was with him. Yeah, Heather was sometimes hard on Joseph but sometimes we need a friend who isn't afraid to tell us straight up what we could be doing better. Heather was always there for Joseph and Joseph sometimes thought it was in a mean way. But Heather only wanted to help Joseph and be his friend although she didn't fully admit it at first. I would enjoy getting to know Heather and going on runs with her as well. Not only would she be a great friend but she would also be a great teammate she constantly had her teams back and she knew that she wouldn’t be as good without her team.
The reason I chose to pick a character I would like to have as a friend as an alternative to the book report was because I felt myself connecting to many of the characters as I was reading the book. I loved the book and the connections the main characters slowly started making with one another. The cross country team slowly started to develop this sense of family which was something that I really admire. As the story came to an end the characters on the team had each other back and it truly showed. I thought this was a good alternative to a book report because it is a good way to show whether the student has read the book as they are describing the characters and certain events that occurred. According to Donalyn Miller on page 135, she asks the question of “Who wants to hear a complete summary of a book they may or may have not read?” she is talking about book reports. She also mentions that an alternative assignment should demonstrate whether the student read the book or not. Which is why I thought this would be a great alternative since it is a creative assignment that ties into the reader's lives. This assignment also demonstrates that the reader has read the book by making specific ties to events that happened throughout the book and describing main characters.
The reason I chose to pick a character I would like to have as a friend as an alternative to the book report was because I felt myself connecting to many of the characters as I was reading the book. I loved the book and the connections the main characters slowly started making with one another. The cross country team slowly started to develop this sense of family which was something that I really admire. As the story came to an end the characters on the team had each other back and it truly showed. I thought this was a good alternative to a book report because it is a good way to show whether the student has read the book as they are describing the characters and certain events that occurred. According to Donalyn Miller on page 135, she asks the question of “Who wants to hear a complete summary of a book they may or may have not read?” she is talking about book reports. She also mentions that an alternative assignment should demonstrate whether the student read the book or not. Which is why I thought this would be a great alternative since it is a creative assignment that ties into the reader's lives. This assignment also demonstrates that the reader has read the book by making specific ties to events that happened throughout the book and describing main characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2019
I loved this book. It's about an seventh grade boy named Joseph. He has ADD and it seems to define his whole life. He works with the resource teacher and is made fun of because of that. The bully in the book, Charlie, gives Joseph a hard time and calls him names. He is the star football player and just a great athlete in general. In P.E. class one day, Charlie begins a run at Joseph while playing soccer. Joseph fears for his life, or at least his bones, and braces himself for the hit only to be surprised by someone who jumps over him and lays Charlie out. The best part is that the one who came to his rescue is a GIRL. Her name is Heather and she is new to school. Heather is very athletic and strong and tall for her age. She and Joseph become unlikely friends. When Joseph's French teacher announces to his French class, which includes Heather, that she will be leading the school's first ever Track (and Cross Country) team, it's Heather who talks Joseph into attending the first track meeting after school. Does Joseph join cross country? Will he ever stick up for himself? Read it to see what happens.
I loved how the author told the story in Joseph's perspective. She does a great job of making the reader truly understand all of the things that might go through a child with ADD's mind...many times showing the GOOD in it.
This book has been nominated for a Golden Sower for 2019-2020.
Reader's Response:
Character Map...I would ask the class/group to get into the head of Joseph. Think about what it must be like to have ADD. I'd pass out the Character Map worksheet and ask them to complete the following.
Head: What does the character think?
Mouth: What does the character say?
Heart: What does the character feel?
Hands: What actions does the character take?
Feet: What is the result of the character’s choices?
Afterwards, we would share out loud some of our ideas.
I chose Side Tracked, Restart, and Invisible Emmie because they all had to deal with the struggle of not fitting in within a Junior High setting. All three include students with learning, physical, or emotional disabilities and the way they are treated by their peers. The three books in my trio will all have something to do with kids who find friends with unlikely people. Bullies, Artsy Types, Nerds, etc. I am teaching sixth grade, so I purposely chose books dealing with junior high students.
Harmon-Asher, D. (2017). Side Tracked. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
I loved how the author told the story in Joseph's perspective. She does a great job of making the reader truly understand all of the things that might go through a child with ADD's mind...many times showing the GOOD in it.
This book has been nominated for a Golden Sower for 2019-2020.
Reader's Response:
Character Map...I would ask the class/group to get into the head of Joseph. Think about what it must be like to have ADD. I'd pass out the Character Map worksheet and ask them to complete the following.
Head: What does the character think?
Mouth: What does the character say?
Heart: What does the character feel?
Hands: What actions does the character take?
Feet: What is the result of the character’s choices?
Afterwards, we would share out loud some of our ideas.
I chose Side Tracked, Restart, and Invisible Emmie because they all had to deal with the struggle of not fitting in within a Junior High setting. All three include students with learning, physical, or emotional disabilities and the way they are treated by their peers. The three books in my trio will all have something to do with kids who find friends with unlikely people. Bullies, Artsy Types, Nerds, etc. I am teaching sixth grade, so I purposely chose books dealing with junior high students.
Harmon-Asher, D. (2017). Side Tracked. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
August 25, 2017
There are those who fit right in at school, who make friends easily and understand all the rules, who have no trouble paying attention in class and following directions. And then there are the rest of us. Joseph Friedman is one of us. Small compared to the other seventh graders, slow and unathletic, struggling with attention and sensory issues, Joseph knows what it is to feel lost, to miss out on a teacher's instructions, and to be bullied.
However, he is not without help. Joseph has a supportive family, and at school he has access to a Resource Room, a place where he can go to catch his breath, quell his anxieties, and reset his ADD brain when he needs to. In the Resource Room, he has Mrs. T., a teacher who gets what it's like for these kids in school. And if that's not enough, in P.E. class (Joseph's least favorite), he finds help in a surprising place. Just as bully Charlie Kastner is charging at him with a soccer ball, a new kid--a girl even--deftly cuts Charlie off and steals the ball, heading toward the goal.
When Joseph finally gets to talk to the new girl, he finds out that she is named Heather, she is far taller than he expected, she is smart, and she wants to be a track star. Fortunately for them both, Mrs. T. has decided to start a track team, and even though Joseph is not fast, this offers him an opportunity to be part of something bigger than himself.
I am big fan of middle grade books done well, and Diana Harmon Asher's Sidetracked nails it. The novel, her first, is told in first person through Joseph's entertaining voice, and that makes for an absolutely charming story. Honest about the struggles of being in seventh grade, of being ADD, of being bullied, Sidetracked shows readers how to deal with life's challenges with humor and grace. I would recommend this to readers of all ages who find themselves struggling to feel like they fit in. Joseph and Heather's individual struggles to find their places, to find success in a hostile environment, to find what makes them special is something that everyone can relate to. And the fact that it's a lovely story with such fantastic characters just makes it that much better. Don't get sidetracked (sorry! sort of) from reading this book!
Galleys for Sidetracked were provided by Amulet Books/ABRAMS Kids through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.
However, he is not without help. Joseph has a supportive family, and at school he has access to a Resource Room, a place where he can go to catch his breath, quell his anxieties, and reset his ADD brain when he needs to. In the Resource Room, he has Mrs. T., a teacher who gets what it's like for these kids in school. And if that's not enough, in P.E. class (Joseph's least favorite), he finds help in a surprising place. Just as bully Charlie Kastner is charging at him with a soccer ball, a new kid--a girl even--deftly cuts Charlie off and steals the ball, heading toward the goal.
When Joseph finally gets to talk to the new girl, he finds out that she is named Heather, she is far taller than he expected, she is smart, and she wants to be a track star. Fortunately for them both, Mrs. T. has decided to start a track team, and even though Joseph is not fast, this offers him an opportunity to be part of something bigger than himself.
I am big fan of middle grade books done well, and Diana Harmon Asher's Sidetracked nails it. The novel, her first, is told in first person through Joseph's entertaining voice, and that makes for an absolutely charming story. Honest about the struggles of being in seventh grade, of being ADD, of being bullied, Sidetracked shows readers how to deal with life's challenges with humor and grace. I would recommend this to readers of all ages who find themselves struggling to feel like they fit in. Joseph and Heather's individual struggles to find their places, to find success in a hostile environment, to find what makes them special is something that everyone can relate to. And the fact that it's a lovely story with such fantastic characters just makes it that much better. Don't get sidetracked (sorry! sort of) from reading this book!
Galleys for Sidetracked were provided by Amulet Books/ABRAMS Kids through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.
June 10, 2019
Summary:
Joseph is a seventh-grade boy with ADD who has struggled throughout school to be successful in the classroom and with his peers. He doesn’t have any friends, he is terrified of many things, he feels like he never knows what is going on in class while everyone else does, and he has been bullied for years by other students. His school starts a cross-country and track program and his resource room teacher asks him to participate. As he attends practices and races in meets, Joseph learns about how to be a friend and teammate, and also how to believe in himself for the first time in his life.
APA Citation:
Asher, D.H. (2018). Side tracked. New York: Amulet Books.
Readers Response Strategy: Graffiti Board
After reading Side Tracked, students could complete several graffiti board together as a class. A graffiti board is a large space for students to write their reactions to a prompt or question that is written in the middle. Students can write comments, ask questions, and even write replies to each others’ comments and questions. A graffiti board should be completed in silence to start with to prompt further discussions later (Facing History, 2019). In this case, I would have four large pieces of paper up in four different sections of the classroom with the following prompts:
What did you learn about learning disabilities (like ADD) from this story? What did you learn about the experiences of students with learning disabilities?
What part of Joseph’s character do you identify with the most? The least? Why?
If you were going to change one part of the story to make it more realistic what would you change? Why?
Which part of the story made you the most upset? The happiest?
Students would have time to contribute to all four graffiti boards before the class would reconvene as a whole. To hold all students accountable for reading the material, I would give each student a different color or type of writing utensil so that every individual student’s thinking would be visible on each board. I could also follow up with a written assignment where students choose one of the four prompts to write up a response to after the class discussion.
Facing History and Ourselves. (2019). Graffiti boards. Retrieved from https://www.facinghistory.org/resourc....
Joseph is a seventh-grade boy with ADD who has struggled throughout school to be successful in the classroom and with his peers. He doesn’t have any friends, he is terrified of many things, he feels like he never knows what is going on in class while everyone else does, and he has been bullied for years by other students. His school starts a cross-country and track program and his resource room teacher asks him to participate. As he attends practices and races in meets, Joseph learns about how to be a friend and teammate, and also how to believe in himself for the first time in his life.
APA Citation:
Asher, D.H. (2018). Side tracked. New York: Amulet Books.
Readers Response Strategy: Graffiti Board
After reading Side Tracked, students could complete several graffiti board together as a class. A graffiti board is a large space for students to write their reactions to a prompt or question that is written in the middle. Students can write comments, ask questions, and even write replies to each others’ comments and questions. A graffiti board should be completed in silence to start with to prompt further discussions later (Facing History, 2019). In this case, I would have four large pieces of paper up in four different sections of the classroom with the following prompts:
What did you learn about learning disabilities (like ADD) from this story? What did you learn about the experiences of students with learning disabilities?
What part of Joseph’s character do you identify with the most? The least? Why?
If you were going to change one part of the story to make it more realistic what would you change? Why?
Which part of the story made you the most upset? The happiest?
Students would have time to contribute to all four graffiti boards before the class would reconvene as a whole. To hold all students accountable for reading the material, I would give each student a different color or type of writing utensil so that every individual student’s thinking would be visible on each board. I could also follow up with a written assignment where students choose one of the four prompts to write up a response to after the class discussion.
Facing History and Ourselves. (2019). Graffiti boards. Retrieved from https://www.facinghistory.org/resourc....
June 7, 2019
I read Sidetracked for a teen book event that we are having at work. I wasn't expecting much, as my coworker told me she didn't really enjoy reading it, but I have to say that I loved this book! It wasn't an action packed title, and didn't have anything crazy going on, but it turned out to a really sweet and feel-good story. Joseph is a 7th grader who is basically a nerd with no friends. He isn't even a smart nerd, as he struggles to concentrate in school (ADD), is in the resource room and has a sensitivity to many things. He is, of course, made fun of and bullied and has no friends. His resource room teacher encourages him to join the new track team that has begun. She challenges him to join something, do something he is scared to do, and not quit. He is a really sweet boy and a nice character and I loved seeing how he slowly but surely started to change, come out of his shell, make friends and get better at a sport he could barely do at the beginning. It was heartwarming to see the rag tag group of individuals who joined track become a team who helped each other out and stuck by each other. Sidetracked was an extremely quick read and I think it teaches good lessons to older children and younger teens; treat everyone nicely and with respect, cheating is bad and will get you nowhere, don't quit no matter how hard things get, stand up for yourself and your friends and it doesn't mater what other people think or if you win or lose - just go for a personal goal or record. It also was educational about ADD and learning disabilities and explained them in a way that kids who don't experience them can understand. It also was a sweet story of friendship and how one should always be there for a friend. Even just writing this review, I'm realizing just how many positive lessons an themes there are in this book that I didn't necessarily realize before. This seemingly low - key read has a lot to say and I really enjoyed it! This is another book that I wouldn't mind a sequel to.
February 24, 2018
Who cares if I was pretty sure everything would turn out in this middle grade novel? I loved every word and fell in love with the characters so much that I hope the author writes a follow-up. All the characters, even the adults, seemed authentic and imperfect, and the fact that there is a budding romance between two elderly characters near the book's conclusion offers a neat twist and hope for the lovelorn or those who have lost a lifelong partner. The central plot concerns Joseph Friedman, a seventh grader who has endured years of verbal and physical abuse because of his size and his ADD. He seeks solace in the resource room with Mrs. T who is always encouraging her students to take risks and try new things. Somehow Joseph finds himself part of the track team she's coaching even though he is not a very good runner and often gets distracted or stumbles while running. Surprisingly, Joseph also makes a friend in Heather, a new student at his school who loves to run and can outrace the guys. She's not the stereotypical feminized athlete either since she's interested in getting fit and strong and not too worried about her appearance. At first Joseph isn't sure what to make off his possible friend, even when she sticks up for him against his nemesis, Charlie Kastner. But as it turns out, Heather has some demons of her own, and while she helps him learn to stick up for himself and keep running just so he can say he finished, he also has some things to teach her. The relationships that develop in this book seem real, providing good examples for young readers. I was particularly taken by Joseph's ruminations on life and bullies as he comes to realize that even if Charlie Kastner was no longer in the picture, another bully just like him or worse will come on the scene, and on and on, and eventually he must face that bully and stand up for himself. This book is a great readaloud title, perfect for sharing and discussing, and it's also a terrific debut.
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