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The Worst #1
Cea mai trăsnită excursie cu clasa
În această povestire fantastic de amuzantă, spusă de Wyatt Palmer, un puști de clasa a VIII-a de la Școala Gimnazială Culver, Dave Barry ne invită la Washington, într-o călătorie cu peripeții.
Wyatt și cel mai bun prieten al său, Matt, alături de o gașcă de super-ciudați, pe care îi consideră teroriști. În încercarea de a-i „deconspira”, încep o aventură care se desfășoară cu o viteză amețitoare, printre clădiri și monumente istorice. Sau, pe scurt, intră în tot soiul de belele. Și toate acestea doar pentru a-l salva pe președintele american de la un atac.
Sau nu?!
Wyatt și cel mai bun prieten al său, Matt, alături de o gașcă de super-ciudați, pe care îi consideră teroriști. În încercarea de a-i „deconspira”, încep o aventură care se desfășoară cu o viteză amețitoare, printre clădiri și monumente istorice. Sau, pe scurt, intră în tot soiul de belele. Și toate acestea doar pentru a-l salva pe președintele american de la un atac.
Sau nu?!
264 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2015
360 people are currently reading
2347 people want to read
About the author
Dave Barry
152 books2,237 followersDave Barry is a humor writer. For 25 years he was a syndicated columnist whose work appeared in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and abroad. In 1988 he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Many people are still trying to figure out how this happened.
Dave has also written many books, virtually none of which contain useful information. Two of his books were used as the basis for the CBS TV sitcom "Dave's World," in which Harry Anderson played a much taller version of Dave.
Dave plays lead guitar in a literary rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose other members include Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson and Mitch Albom. They are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud. Dave has also made many TV appearances, including one on the David Letterman show where he proved that it is possible to set fire to a pair of men's underpants with a Barbie doll.
In his spare time, Dave is a candidate for president of the United States. If elected, his highest priority will be to seek the death penalty for whoever is responsible for making Americans install low-flow toilets.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Michelle, a sportswriter. He has a son, Rob, and a daughter, Sophie, neither of whom thinks he's funny.
Dave has also written many books, virtually none of which contain useful information. Two of his books were used as the basis for the CBS TV sitcom "Dave's World," in which Harry Anderson played a much taller version of Dave.
Dave plays lead guitar in a literary rock band called the Rock Bottom Remainders, whose other members include Stephen King, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson and Mitch Albom. They are not musically skilled, but they are extremely loud. Dave has also made many TV appearances, including one on the David Letterman show where he proved that it is possible to set fire to a pair of men's underpants with a Barbie doll.
In his spare time, Dave is a candidate for president of the United States. If elected, his highest priority will be to seek the death penalty for whoever is responsible for making Americans install low-flow toilets.
Dave lives in Miami, Florida, with his wife, Michelle, a sportswriter. He has a son, Rob, and a daughter, Sophie, neither of whom thinks he's funny.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 610 reviews
April 2, 2018
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Because when your book-hatin’ kid tells you to read the story he just finished, there’s only one thing you can say . . . .
If you’re an old fogey you’re probably familiar with the name Dave Barry since he’s been around for about eleven trillion years. He kicks it kid-style in The Worst Class Trip Ever which, aptly named, is about a class field trip. Actually it’s about the class field trip. You know the one. In 8th Grade when everyone goes to Washington D.C.? This is the story of what happens to Wyatt, Matt, Suzana, Victor and Cameron, along with two mysterious men from their flight, while visiting the capital.
So the kid was right and this was pretty fun. It’s rare that he actually enjoys the reading process, so I’m always thankful when he finds a winner. The gripe I have about this selection is that it is one of the Truman Award Nominees that the school district encourages/rewards children to read. That would be great if they were recommending a book like this to maybe third graders. My kid is waaaaaay older than that and while I am a firm believer of read whatever you like and I get that he feels very accomplished having read this from start to finish in a couple of days when it usually takes him weeks, I think the middle-school should be pushing books that are a bit – okay A LOT - more challenging than this one.
Because when your book-hatin’ kid tells you to read the story he just finished, there’s only one thing you can say . . . .
If you’re an old fogey you’re probably familiar with the name Dave Barry since he’s been around for about eleven trillion years. He kicks it kid-style in The Worst Class Trip Ever which, aptly named, is about a class field trip. Actually it’s about the class field trip. You know the one. In 8th Grade when everyone goes to Washington D.C.? This is the story of what happens to Wyatt, Matt, Suzana, Victor and Cameron, along with two mysterious men from their flight, while visiting the capital.
So the kid was right and this was pretty fun. It’s rare that he actually enjoys the reading process, so I’m always thankful when he finds a winner. The gripe I have about this selection is that it is one of the Truman Award Nominees that the school district encourages/rewards children to read. That would be great if they were recommending a book like this to maybe third graders. My kid is waaaaaay older than that and while I am a firm believer of read whatever you like and I get that he feels very accomplished having read this from start to finish in a couple of days when it usually takes him weeks, I think the middle-school should be pushing books that are a bit – okay A LOT - more challenging than this one.
June 8, 2025
The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry
Synopsis /
In this hilarious novel, written in the voice of eighth-grader Wyatt Palmer, Dave Barry takes us on a class trip to Washington, DC. Wyatt, his best friend, Matt, and a few kids from Culver Middle School find themselves in a heap of trouble-not just with their teachers, who have long lost patience with them -- but from several mysterious men they first meet on their flight to the nation's capital. In a fast-paced adventure with the monuments as a backdrop, the kids try to stay out of danger and out of the doghouse while trying to save the president from attack-or maybe not.
My Thoughts /
OK everyone, this is The Worst. And by that I mean this is book #1 in a series titled The Worst.
And coming in at Number #1 of 'The Worst' is: The Worst Class Trip Ever. Just by the title alone, you know you're heading into a story filled with bad decisions and zany situations.
Dave Barry's novel The Worst Class Trip Ever is marketed to ages 9-12. And I'm here to call out all of this generation marketing and demographic segmentation!!!! I'm here to let you know that I'm not about stereotypes – and you know what my GR friends? – I'm here to advocate that you can read a Middle Grade fiction novel no matter what age you are AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will come as no surprise to those here that I was last at school about one million zillion trillion years ago, give or take a year or two. Back when we had ink wells in our desks and scratched out our ABCs on slates. Back when you walked to school rain, hail, shine or snow and you didn't dare complain. Back when the powers that be thought it was an absolutely grand idea to make each of us sit on the playground mid-morning and drink a small cardboard container of milk – milk that had been sitting in the sun since sunrise that morning. Back when there wasn't a food allergy in sight; cooler bags hadn't yet been invented and our sandwiches (which were stale by lunchtime) came wrapped in wax paper. Good Times.
So when Wyatt Palmer's eighth grade class trip to Washington, D.C. quickly escalates into an international incident, well you know I'm going to relate.
Told in the self-deprecating voice of Wyatt Palmer, who is trying to impress the eighth grade "hot girl" Suzana. In Wyatt's words, Suzana is basically a Navy SEAL disguised as a hot eighth-grade girl.
As the class dutifully treks like lemmings from one historical monument to another, instead of breathing in all that history, most of the class spend their time wondering why Suzana (aka hot girl) is spending so much time with the nerds (aka Wyatt).
What you get:
🙋 Eighth graders with wild imaginations
🙋 Two teacher chaperones who are comically clueless
🙋 Eighth grade toilet humour (aka fart jokes)
🙋Ludicrous and comical scenarios
🙋Enough humour and wit to keep even the adult reader entertained
🙋Plenty of action and excitement, but at no point do you feel there a menacing edge
For the most part the entire story is implausible but, if you haven't gleaned that from the title and the cover art this is not a serious book, then maybe you might need to go back and re-do the eighth grade (just sayin).
There were no children harmed in the writing of this story and Wyatt and his fellow eighth grade pals all make it back in one piece.
Synopsis /
In this hilarious novel, written in the voice of eighth-grader Wyatt Palmer, Dave Barry takes us on a class trip to Washington, DC. Wyatt, his best friend, Matt, and a few kids from Culver Middle School find themselves in a heap of trouble-not just with their teachers, who have long lost patience with them -- but from several mysterious men they first meet on their flight to the nation's capital. In a fast-paced adventure with the monuments as a backdrop, the kids try to stay out of danger and out of the doghouse while trying to save the president from attack-or maybe not.
My Thoughts /
OK everyone, this is The Worst. And by that I mean this is book #1 in a series titled The Worst.
And coming in at Number #1 of 'The Worst' is: The Worst Class Trip Ever. Just by the title alone, you know you're heading into a story filled with bad decisions and zany situations.
Dave Barry's novel The Worst Class Trip Ever is marketed to ages 9-12. And I'm here to call out all of this generation marketing and demographic segmentation!!!! I'm here to let you know that I'm not about stereotypes – and you know what my GR friends? – I'm here to advocate that you can read a Middle Grade fiction novel no matter what age you are AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will come as no surprise to those here that I was last at school about one million zillion trillion years ago, give or take a year or two. Back when we had ink wells in our desks and scratched out our ABCs on slates. Back when you walked to school rain, hail, shine or snow and you didn't dare complain. Back when the powers that be thought it was an absolutely grand idea to make each of us sit on the playground mid-morning and drink a small cardboard container of milk – milk that had been sitting in the sun since sunrise that morning. Back when there wasn't a food allergy in sight; cooler bags hadn't yet been invented and our sandwiches (which were stale by lunchtime) came wrapped in wax paper. Good Times.
So when Wyatt Palmer's eighth grade class trip to Washington, D.C. quickly escalates into an international incident, well you know I'm going to relate.
Told in the self-deprecating voice of Wyatt Palmer, who is trying to impress the eighth grade "hot girl" Suzana. In Wyatt's words, Suzana is basically a Navy SEAL disguised as a hot eighth-grade girl.
As the class dutifully treks like lemmings from one historical monument to another, instead of breathing in all that history, most of the class spend their time wondering why Suzana (aka hot girl) is spending so much time with the nerds (aka Wyatt).
What you get:
🙋 Eighth graders with wild imaginations
🙋 Two teacher chaperones who are comically clueless
🙋 Eighth grade toilet humour (aka fart jokes)
🙋Ludicrous and comical scenarios
🙋Enough humour and wit to keep even the adult reader entertained
🙋Plenty of action and excitement, but at no point do you feel there a menacing edge
For the most part the entire story is implausible but, if you haven't gleaned that from the title and the cover art this is not a serious book, then maybe you might need to go back and re-do the eighth grade (just sayin).
There were no children harmed in the writing of this story and Wyatt and his fellow eighth grade pals all make it back in one piece.
May 12, 2023
Dave Barry is funny. He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in which he won the Pulitzer Prize, not for hard-hitting journalism but for humorous columns with booger jokes and (I am not making this up) exploding whales. His works have inspired TV sitcoms (Dave's Place) and movies (Big Trouble) and his collections of columns and other amusing books have sold gajillions of copies and were probably a leading cause of late 20th Century deforestation. This book, however, is not funny. Or, rather, it would be considered funny ONLY to its target audience which appears to be 8-12 year old boys. There are not a lot of booger jokes, however there are plenty of fart jokes to make up the difference. Reading this book is kind of like watching the Transformers movies if you took out all the parts with the robots. Even if you are a Dave Barry fan, you can skip this book. Unless you are a 8-12 year old boy. Or you like fart jokes.
September 10, 2017
This is one of the books where the audiobook wins over the actual book.
It's on replay trillion times in this household. The adults are cracking up and the kids laugh out loud. Memorizing lines even.
It never leave our car ever since we put it on. It's been month number 9. Seriously, the kids still laugh at it.
and the Adults... well we tune out.
Until then, its on rotation right now.
It's on replay trillion times in this household. The adults are cracking up and the kids laugh out loud. Memorizing lines even.
It never leave our car ever since we put it on. It's been month number 9. Seriously, the kids still laugh at it.
and the Adults... well we tune out.
Until then, its on rotation right now.
February 18, 2019
Excursiile cu clasa întotdeauna mi s-au părut plictisitoare, însă Wyatt Palmer a vrut (neapărat) să mă contrazică. De ce să vizitezi muzee și să te comporți ca un turist normal, când poți să-l întâlnești pe președintele SUA, să vânezi teroriști, să-ți salvezi prietenii și să te faci de râs în fața Suzanei, fata care ți-a răpit inima? Ah, important de precizat: e mai înaltă ca Wyatt.
Ce am reținut: dragonii sunt întotdeauna periculoși, doar studenții (nu contează de la ce colegiu/facultate) pot să creeze un zmeu sub formă de fund (nu glumesc, uitați-vă la copertă), mâncarea din SUA este groaznică, iar mamele cubaneze sunt vulcanice, imprevizibile și țipă, nu vorbesc.
Ce am reținut: dragonii sunt întotdeauna periculoși, doar studenții (nu contează de la ce colegiu/facultate) pot să creeze un zmeu sub formă de fund (nu glumesc, uitați-vă la copertă), mâncarea din SUA este groaznică, iar mamele cubaneze sunt vulcanice, imprevizibile și țipă, nu vorbesc.
November 13, 2015
I recently enjoyed my first Dave Barry novel, and now I'm finished enjoying my first Dave Barry middle grade book. He keeps surprising and impressing me!
This was in my Audible library, and my daughter (age 10) started listening to it on her own and then checked it out of the library in book form. And she started requesting it to listen in the car. And then we each finished it on our own.
It's a fun, crazy adventure to Washington D.C. with the 8th grade class at Culver City Middle School. There are hopeless crushes. There is inappropriate farting. There are mysterious strangers. There are wacky misunderstandings. There's a giant buttocks kite flying over the White House.
Fun for all ages! (as long as you're immature at heart)
A sequel is planned for next year. Hooray!
This was in my Audible library, and my daughter (age 10) started listening to it on her own and then checked it out of the library in book form. And she started requesting it to listen in the car. And then we each finished it on our own.
It's a fun, crazy adventure to Washington D.C. with the 8th grade class at Culver City Middle School. There are hopeless crushes. There is inappropriate farting. There are mysterious strangers. There are wacky misunderstandings. There's a giant buttocks kite flying over the White House.
Fun for all ages! (as long as you're immature at heart)
A sequel is planned for next year. Hooray!
June 9, 2015
OK, I'm adult. I admit it. This book was written for middle school kids. I actually used to teach middle school. So, I shouldn't have enjoyed the book, right? Wrong! This was so funny and entertaining (by Dave Barry, what would you expect?)! The characters shared the same everyday traumas as real kids, except slightly exaggerated...a lot exaggerated. Read it just for the fun of it!
September 11, 2015
I read this to my 9 & 12 yr old sons. They give it 4 stars. It was funny.
I would only read them 2 chapters a night and they got mad and tried to steal the book to read ahead of me. I had to hide it or they would have stayed up all night to read it.
Gee, I wonder where they get that from.
I would only read them 2 chapters a night and they got mad and tried to steal the book to read ahead of me. I had to hide it or they would have stayed up all night to read it.
Gee, I wonder where they get that from.
July 16, 2024
Listened with the boys. It was cute. Lots of fart jokes which they greatly enjoyed. The plot is absurd but kept their attention the entire time.
March 24, 2017
Cute story. Not as funny as most of Barry's stuff, but I guess he didn't want to torture the kids as much as he does his usual hapless hero. Not much on the cool sites in D.C. But I guess it's hard for a preteen boy to concentrate on the Smithsonian when his thoughts are taken up by the kid who farts a lot and the pretty, popular girl he yearns for.
I can tell you from my one visit to D.C. you can't go anywhere without seeing the Washington Monument! It's like this ever present deity looking at you all the time.
P.S. Saving the Pres? Hmm. Depends on which one, I guess. ;)
I can tell you from my one visit to D.C. you can't go anywhere without seeing the Washington Monument! It's like this ever present deity looking at you all the time.
P.S. Saving the Pres? Hmm. Depends on which one, I guess. ;)
April 21, 2015
Nonsensical, not insubstantially racist, and, worst of all, not funny. I loved Dave Barry as a kid, and so this review pains me, but... I want the last six hours of my life back. Very much not recommended. (Thanks to netgalley.com for the e-ARC.)
July 14, 2018
This was soooooooooooooo good! Funny, scary, and full of twists and turns. Some people were complaining about the end wasn't that good. WHATEVER. It was amazing. I knocked off a star cause I didn't like a few things. But overall, yay!!!!
June 26, 2018
Funny, I read it a while ago, I don't know why it's not marked...
May 26, 2024
I read this book as a first chapter Friday book to my fifth graders as a recommendation from my daughter, and I was shocked as to how funny it was. I was crying! I decided to read it in its entirety. It’s a perfect fifth grade book that I’m sure will be one that is consistently checked out. Great humor, high engagement, and multiple DC references. It’s a fun, lighthearted read!
October 23, 2016
For years and years, Dave Barry's humor column was the first thing I read in the newspaper. When this YA book was recommended to me (can't remember if it was Audible or Goodreads) and it was on sale, I bought it. Good decision. I had so much fun listening to it (I think I must be a young adult at heart). It was often laugh out loud funny. In fact, I'm sure there were times when I was listening in the car that other motorists must have wondered what was wrong with me, all alone in my car and laughing so hard. I enjoyed my time in the head of an 8th grade boy.
May 28, 2015
Boys enjoyed and laughed out loud. Even requested I read for 1 hour as soon as we got home from school so we could finish it tonight. I call that a success!
April 13, 2020
Read aloud with 6th grade lunch bunch.
September 26, 2022
3.5 for the audio version....I don't believe the book would be as enjoyable.
This is not great literature but it did make me chuckle quite a few times which is always a plus.
It contains no gore, no sex, and no foul language although it does contain grass language. It's entertaining and my boys are sure to like it.
It kept me entertained.
This is not great literature but it did make me chuckle quite a few times which is always a plus.
It contains no gore, no sex, and no foul language although it does contain grass language. It's entertaining and my boys are sure to like it.
It kept me entertained.
Read
August 7, 2024A silly goofy time, but I can imagine 9-year-olds, especially ones who appreciate fart jokes, absolutely eating this up.
November 12, 2021
A true classic
November 4, 2015
I enjoyed The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry a lot. It is a humorous book about an 8th grader named Wyatt and his friends on their chaotic class trip to Washington D.C. On the plane there, his best friend Matt is convinced that the two suspicious looking men behind them are terrorists, and that really sets the story going. Matt steals a device from the men that looks like a detonator, and the men are determined to get it back. Wyatt is dragged into the idea that they are terrorists by Matt, and Wyatt's crush, Suzana, wants to join in. The group sets off on a mission to stop the two terrorists, even if it means being sent home from the trip. My favorite part of the book was when The book is written like Wyatt is telling you what happened after it has all taken place. The author did a good job of describing the setting and Wyatt's feelings, and threw in some funny bits as well. The humor is very sarcastic, and I really enjoyed it. It was a very entertaining book, and would read it again.
May 8, 2016
I loved this laugh-out-loud, action-packed tale of adventure by Dave Barry, who really should write more middle-school books. The plot concerns a school trip to Washington, D.C., in which Wyatt and some of his fellow eighth-graders spot some "terrorists" on the plane, and set out to stop an attack on the White House.
The story is bizarre and incredible, involving a country called "Gadakistan," a dragon kite, an irate taxi driver determined to collect his fare, a deadly snake, a hunting fork, and a stunning twist at the end, but it's all so hilarious that it doesn't matter. My favorite character is a girl named Suzana Delgado, who Wyatt says is "basically a Navy SEAL disguised as a hot eighth-grade girl." This book is great fun for kids and for grownups who haven't lost their middle-school sense of humor.
The story is bizarre and incredible, involving a country called "Gadakistan," a dragon kite, an irate taxi driver determined to collect his fare, a deadly snake, a hunting fork, and a stunning twist at the end, but it's all so hilarious that it doesn't matter. My favorite character is a girl named Suzana Delgado, who Wyatt says is "basically a Navy SEAL disguised as a hot eighth-grade girl." This book is great fun for kids and for grownups who haven't lost their middle-school sense of humor.
February 5, 2017
So let me start by saying that this book was in my list because book #2 was recommended at a conference of new YA and middle grade books and I don't like to read series books without at least reading the first in the series. Then I found this on a list that said it was realistic fiction. Let me be clear. This book is not realistic fiction.
Having said that it was quite funny. It follows a group of 5 kids on their eighth grade class trip to D.C. and their hilarious mix up in international affairs. It really was quite funny and well done. Like I said - not realistic but attention grabbing (and keeping). I think that upper elementary school students and middle school students will love it. The text was a little easy for the age level intended but it would be a great read for both girls and boys. Recommend it to them! Looking forward to reading the second one.
Having said that it was quite funny. It follows a group of 5 kids on their eighth grade class trip to D.C. and their hilarious mix up in international affairs. It really was quite funny and well done. Like I said - not realistic but attention grabbing (and keeping). I think that upper elementary school students and middle school students will love it. The text was a little easy for the age level intended but it would be a great read for both girls and boys. Recommend it to them! Looking forward to reading the second one.
March 28, 2016
This was an extremely quick and fun read. Dave Barry's main character is on a class trip from Miami to Washington DC and thinks a couple of fellow passengers on the plane are plotting to kill the president. Cool girl Suzana becomes convinced and teams up with Wyatt and his best friend, Matt, to try to foil the plot -- gotta love that she is cool but not snotty, smart and athletic, as well as assertive and funny. Descriptions and details of the whole 8th grade experience ring true, and this should make an excellent Middle School Lunch Bunch book both for the humor and for the parallels to the recent middle school spring vacation trip. Fun!
March 4, 2017
The book I'm reading is called the worst class trip ever. A couple of things that I like about the book is that it is real funny. The main character is Wyatt Palmer. There's this girl named Suzana,but usually when Wyatt is around her he usually does something wrong witch is funny. The story contains elements of mystery. When Wyatt is on the plain to Washington there are these weird and mischievous guys on the plain that Wyatt thinks they have a bomb in their bag. A couple of things I didn't like was that the setting was kinda boring and the book was a little to long but overall it was good. The author Dave Barry did a real good job on this book.
February 16, 2017
I got this book from the library for my son to read, but I'm not sure he did. But I did and it was entertaining. I'm glad I read it. It was a bit silly. A bit unbelievable that that aged kids would do what they did. But sometimes that's where the fun is. I don't remember there being any inappropriate (sex or language) stuff in the book. So one that I could easily recommend. Although there is some scary elements that could be scary for some kids.
February 21, 2017
Got this in anticipation of my kids class trip to DC in a couple of months and listened with the family on a road trip. Dave Barry has always been a favorite humor columnist of mine, and he didn't disappoint. It was hilarious. We were all laughing and very much enjoyed the awkward antics of Wyatt and his 8th grade friends as they attempt to thwart a terrorist plot.
March 2, 2019
Dave Barry always makes me laugh and I confess, I gave this book an extra star just because it made me laugh when I really needed to feel better. Middle schoolers from Florida (because Dave Barry) go on a field trip to Washington, D.C., and wind up foiling an attempted assassination of the President. The why and how are exactly as wacky as you’d expect from the mind of Dave Barry.
March 13, 2018
Solid Dave Barry story. About a kid on a middle school field trip to D.C. He and his buddies become embroiled in a plot to do something nefarious. However all is not as it seems. Let the hilariousness ensue.
June 23, 2017
This book is seriously amazing!!!! When you think the book is at a steady pace......BAM!-it hits you with an unexpected twist.You should read this book!:)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 610 reviews