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Stupid
Martin's been diagnosed with ADHD, but he feels something about his diagnosis isn't right. The Ritalin he's prescribed doesn't seem to make a difference. When Martin's grades continue to sink no matter how hard he tries, his father writes him off as lazy and just plain stupid. His dad is convinced that Martin just needs to focus more on his studies and less on making movies.
One night while out pursuing his passion on the city streets with his camera, Martin meets Stick and is introduced to the energetic and exciting pastime of parkour -- free-running. While filming Stick's flips and tricks, Martin begins to see a connection between how his brain interprets the world, all jumbled and fast-moving and out of order, and what the free-runners see. Camera in hand, Martin sets out to make a video that will show his dad what he sees, and hopefully get him to understand that Martin's real learning disability, dyslexia, has never been properly diagnosed.
One night while out pursuing his passion on the city streets with his camera, Martin meets Stick and is introduced to the energetic and exciting pastime of parkour -- free-running. While filming Stick's flips and tricks, Martin begins to see a connection between how his brain interprets the world, all jumbled and fast-moving and out of order, and what the free-runners see. Camera in hand, Martin sets out to make a video that will show his dad what he sees, and hopefully get him to understand that Martin's real learning disability, dyslexia, has never been properly diagnosed.
- GenresYoung Adult
211 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2013
1 person is currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Kim Firmston
17 books7 followersKim Firmston is a real life mutant – though one without any cool powers. When she is not writing or cursing obvious villain mistakes, she warps young minds in her Reality is Optional Kid’s Writing Club and various writing camps. Kim has written and produced many plays, had a few short stories make it into print, and published five novels (one of them by herself). Kim encourages play, be it in her classes or on her interactive websites. She has also been known to build diabolical devices out of cardboard and old chip bags with prominent DO NOT PUSH buttons.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 14, 2019
Stupid by Kim Firmston is a fictional book written about a young boy named Martin who had a love for filming, but had a hard time in school. His dad, especially thought that his love for filming took away from him being able to really succeed in school and that was the reason for him failing classes. Martin’s life changed when he met a guy named Stick who was introduced to a group of people that loved parkour. This was perfect for Martin because he now had someone to film. Martin then realizes that he has dyslexia when Stick has him take an online test for it. At the end of the book, Martin makes a deal with his dad that if he gets all his marks above 70, he can go to a film school for the summer instead of a military school that his dad had planned for him.
The theme I chose for this book was always chase your dreams, but don’t lose your grasp on life trying to chase them. What I mean is that Martin became so indulged in trying to become a better filmmaker that he started not caring about school. School is very important and it gets you very far in life. His dad was able to keep him in check and get him focused back on school as well as his dreams. Once Martin was diagnosed with dyslexia, he was able to learn how to cope with it and how to overcome it. After that, he was able to start getting high seventies as marks instead of barely passing and failing most classes. This helped Martin become a better person and also helped him become closer with his Dad because the tension of him getting bad grades in school was between them anymore.
I would rate this book a 6.5 out of 10 because it had a good theme, but the reader would many times get carried away talking about parkour. What I mean is that many times in the book, it would just talk about him filming and certain lights he was trying to achieve to make the video even better. Also, they talked a lot about a filming contest Martin entered and in my opinion that wasn’t needed in the book and it would have been better without it. One thing I liked about the book is that they really describe each character well and went into depth on each of them so you had a good understanding.
Some things other people might not have liked about this book is the basis of parkour in general. A lot of this book is centered around him filming people doing parkour. You could definitely tell that author had a deep love for parkour and many times got carried into what the author thought was a “sport.” Also, what other people might have liked about this book is that they might have seen some of Martin in themselves in that he lost focus of school trying to pursue a dream. Many kids may do this in real life and then remember how important school is to them having a prosperous life.
Other people might have liked the focus of parkour during the book. They also might have thought the theme was chasing your dreams no matter what. I would recommend this book for people that like a good read or for people that like good themes in books. This book can teach you things about your life if your trying to figure out what you should focus your life on.
The theme I chose for this book was always chase your dreams, but don’t lose your grasp on life trying to chase them. What I mean is that Martin became so indulged in trying to become a better filmmaker that he started not caring about school. School is very important and it gets you very far in life. His dad was able to keep him in check and get him focused back on school as well as his dreams. Once Martin was diagnosed with dyslexia, he was able to learn how to cope with it and how to overcome it. After that, he was able to start getting high seventies as marks instead of barely passing and failing most classes. This helped Martin become a better person and also helped him become closer with his Dad because the tension of him getting bad grades in school was between them anymore.
I would rate this book a 6.5 out of 10 because it had a good theme, but the reader would many times get carried away talking about parkour. What I mean is that many times in the book, it would just talk about him filming and certain lights he was trying to achieve to make the video even better. Also, they talked a lot about a filming contest Martin entered and in my opinion that wasn’t needed in the book and it would have been better without it. One thing I liked about the book is that they really describe each character well and went into depth on each of them so you had a good understanding.
Some things other people might not have liked about this book is the basis of parkour in general. A lot of this book is centered around him filming people doing parkour. You could definitely tell that author had a deep love for parkour and many times got carried into what the author thought was a “sport.” Also, what other people might have liked about this book is that they might have seen some of Martin in themselves in that he lost focus of school trying to pursue a dream. Many kids may do this in real life and then remember how important school is to them having a prosperous life.
Other people might have liked the focus of parkour during the book. They also might have thought the theme was chasing your dreams no matter what. I would recommend this book for people that like a good read or for people that like good themes in books. This book can teach you things about your life if your trying to figure out what you should focus your life on.
May 19, 2022
Such a good book. I read it because my son found it in his library and although he couldnt check it out (someone else had) he told me about it...so i looked it up and ended up EVENTUALLY (very hard to find) buying it. I cried. It definitely got me. I read it in just a few short hours. (208 pages) definitely recommend
December 11, 2016
Martin wishes that everyone would quit calling him stupid.
Just because he isn't on the honour roll like his younger sister doesn't mean he's stupid.
No matter how hard he tries, Martin just can't seem to improve his grades at school.
Martin's father constantly belittles him; calling him lazy and stupid. As it would with any teenager, this devastates and frustrates Martin.
Out one night videotaping he captures surprising video of someone jumping from roof to roof at an abandoned brewery. When security spots the person on the roof, the two teenagers team up to help each other escape.
From that night on, Martin and Stick becomevgood friends. Asking Stick what he had been up to that night introduces Martin to the world of parkour (free running).
Seeing correlations between Stick's jumps, flips and tricks and the way words move around the page when he tries to read, Martin decides to make a movie that will prove he isn't so stupid after all.
I love the fact that this book addresses issues that other authors are afraid to take on - like the fact that parental verbal abuse can be as bad (and sometimes worse than) physical abuse.
That topic alone would be enough to tackle in a single book, but not for Kim Firmston. Her writing is absolutely fearless (kind of like Stick when he is doing parkour.)
Additional topics talked about in very realistic ways include: learning disorders, dyslexia, ADHD, the foster system, the sale of ritalin in high schools, depression and the frustration of giving something your absolute best effort and still coming up short.
If a reader cannot find a way to relate to either Martin or Stick then they must have been brought up in complete isolation from others.
This is the second book I have read by KIM FIRMSTON and I am now officially a fan. I love the realism in her books and I love that she is not afraid to bring up hard topics. Her books are perfect for Young Adult Reading Groups and in fact, I think that it sbould be required reading for parents of teenagers.
I rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars
Just because he isn't on the honour roll like his younger sister doesn't mean he's stupid.
No matter how hard he tries, Martin just can't seem to improve his grades at school.
Martin's father constantly belittles him; calling him lazy and stupid. As it would with any teenager, this devastates and frustrates Martin.
Out one night videotaping he captures surprising video of someone jumping from roof to roof at an abandoned brewery. When security spots the person on the roof, the two teenagers team up to help each other escape.
From that night on, Martin and Stick becomevgood friends. Asking Stick what he had been up to that night introduces Martin to the world of parkour (free running).
Seeing correlations between Stick's jumps, flips and tricks and the way words move around the page when he tries to read, Martin decides to make a movie that will prove he isn't so stupid after all.
I love the fact that this book addresses issues that other authors are afraid to take on - like the fact that parental verbal abuse can be as bad (and sometimes worse than) physical abuse.
That topic alone would be enough to tackle in a single book, but not for Kim Firmston. Her writing is absolutely fearless (kind of like Stick when he is doing parkour.)
Additional topics talked about in very realistic ways include: learning disorders, dyslexia, ADHD, the foster system, the sale of ritalin in high schools, depression and the frustration of giving something your absolute best effort and still coming up short.
If a reader cannot find a way to relate to either Martin or Stick then they must have been brought up in complete isolation from others.
This is the second book I have read by KIM FIRMSTON and I am now officially a fan. I love the realism in her books and I love that she is not afraid to bring up hard topics. Her books are perfect for Young Adult Reading Groups and in fact, I think that it sbould be required reading for parents of teenagers.
I rate this book as 5 out of 5 stars
February 12, 2015
Stupid was a pleasant surprise! This hi-look book offers a quick, but strong story about what it's like to be dyslexic.
Although Martin is an excellent filmmaker and a has a great eye for seeing things that others don't, he struggles in school and can't seem to pass his classes. His dad yells at him and calls him stupid, and Martin nearly starts to believe it. He has been diagnosed with ADHD (although he doesn't think he has it) and given Ritalin, but he actually sells it to classmates instead of taking it. Though he doesn't drink or do drugs, his dad is constantly accusing him and tearing his room apart to find evidence.
Martin finally begins to feel better about his talents when he meets Stick, a teen around his age who is great at Parkour. Stick and his friends get together with Martin, and he begins to film them doing Parkour. He uses the footage to tell his own life story for a movie he plans to submit to a film festival.
Stick inspires Martin through his dedication to hard work and overcoming obstacles. Martin learns that because Stick's parents were addicted to drugs, he had to move to a foster home. Despite his fear of Martin's living situation, Martin learns that Stick now lives in a nice home and that his foster mom is a supportive person. He also understands why Stick is bothered by Martin complaining about his family.
Stick's foster mom suspects that Martin has dyslexia after watching the video he created and listening to the ways he describes his brain. After Stick and Martin take a quick online test about dyslexia, Martin finally has some tools to help him to begin to conquer the difficulty that's been holding him back.
A story like this one could be encouraging to so many kids who struggle with all kinds of different challenges. It was great to read a book about someone who was labeled in a negative way and was able to overcome it. It was also great to see that even when Martin struggled in some areas, he had incredible talents in others!
One quick note to any readers--this book uses Canadian spellings (words end in "re" instead of "er") and expressions (such as "grade 10" instead of "10th grade" or "marks" instead of "grades"). This was a little distracting at first!
Although Martin is an excellent filmmaker and a has a great eye for seeing things that others don't, he struggles in school and can't seem to pass his classes. His dad yells at him and calls him stupid, and Martin nearly starts to believe it. He has been diagnosed with ADHD (although he doesn't think he has it) and given Ritalin, but he actually sells it to classmates instead of taking it. Though he doesn't drink or do drugs, his dad is constantly accusing him and tearing his room apart to find evidence.
Martin finally begins to feel better about his talents when he meets Stick, a teen around his age who is great at Parkour. Stick and his friends get together with Martin, and he begins to film them doing Parkour. He uses the footage to tell his own life story for a movie he plans to submit to a film festival.
Stick inspires Martin through his dedication to hard work and overcoming obstacles. Martin learns that because Stick's parents were addicted to drugs, he had to move to a foster home. Despite his fear of Martin's living situation, Martin learns that Stick now lives in a nice home and that his foster mom is a supportive person. He also understands why Stick is bothered by Martin complaining about his family.
Stick's foster mom suspects that Martin has dyslexia after watching the video he created and listening to the ways he describes his brain. After Stick and Martin take a quick online test about dyslexia, Martin finally has some tools to help him to begin to conquer the difficulty that's been holding him back.
A story like this one could be encouraging to so many kids who struggle with all kinds of different challenges. It was great to read a book about someone who was labeled in a negative way and was able to overcome it. It was also great to see that even when Martin struggled in some areas, he had incredible talents in others!
One quick note to any readers--this book uses Canadian spellings (words end in "re" instead of "er") and expressions (such as "grade 10" instead of "10th grade" or "marks" instead of "grades"). This was a little distracting at first!
June 19, 2014
Martin feels stupid. He's told he's stupid all the time, and lazy, and useless, when really, he's dyslexic and doesn't know it yet. He loves shooting films, though, and he's really good at it. One night he meets another teen, who goes by Stick, who's really into parkour and freerunning. The beauty of the movement really captures Martin's imagination and the two team up to create a short movie for a film contest. The thing is, though, Martin's dad is on him all the time for his abysmal grades, and he faces the threat of military school if they don't improve. Will he be able to cope with his learning disability enough to improve his grades? Will he balance his study time with his new-found friends, parkour, and his love of making films? Will Martin's dad ever stop calling him stupid?
I really liked this book. Its characters had surprising depth for such a short book, and the plot never seems forced, predictable, or too perfect. I read this as a netgalley before it was published and I plan on purchasing it for my library.
I really liked this book. Its characters had surprising depth for such a short book, and the plot never seems forced, predictable, or too perfect. I read this as a netgalley before it was published and I plan on purchasing it for my library.
April 25, 2014
Say you're a teen, and you try really hard in school, but you can't concentrate, you try to read and the words dance around, your writing looks like you just learned how to write - your dad calls you lazy and stupid, makes you take Ritalin for what he and the doc thinks is wrong, but that doesn't help.
Not until you meet this kid, Stick, into parkour or free running, shoot a movie of Stick and his friends - an incredible flick - and listen to what he says parkour's all about and suggests you try it to overcome your problems after someone says your film is the best description of dyslexia she's ever seen - that you begin to change, do better in school, and at last convince your parents, especially your dad, that you are one talented guy with a problem you now can work at with a little help...
This has the non stop read of a thriller - a book everyone should read - and great for all kids too - so all can better understand a problem many deal with in their lives.
Not until you meet this kid, Stick, into parkour or free running, shoot a movie of Stick and his friends - an incredible flick - and listen to what he says parkour's all about and suggests you try it to overcome your problems after someone says your film is the best description of dyslexia she's ever seen - that you begin to change, do better in school, and at last convince your parents, especially your dad, that you are one talented guy with a problem you now can work at with a little help...
This has the non stop read of a thriller - a book everyone should read - and great for all kids too - so all can better understand a problem many deal with in their lives.
May 11, 2014
Thanks to James Lorimer & Company for giving me access to this arc through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
First i have to explain that i rated this book considering it was written for young teens. It's a very good read for kids 12 and over and there's a lot of valuable life lessons in it. And the fact that it was in the parkour world was a good bonus, added action in the storyline!
There's a lot of kids like Martin, kids who think they are stupid because they can't live up to the expectations of their parent or simply because they can't get good grades and there's a lot of them who are misdiagnosed or no diagnosed at all. Maybe books like this one can help them get helped or at least help them believe in themself. It was a really great story about trying to believe in yourself when you think that you're a failure and also about discovering how far you can push yourself and what you're willing to do to continue doing what you love.
First i have to explain that i rated this book considering it was written for young teens. It's a very good read for kids 12 and over and there's a lot of valuable life lessons in it. And the fact that it was in the parkour world was a good bonus, added action in the storyline!
There's a lot of kids like Martin, kids who think they are stupid because they can't live up to the expectations of their parent or simply because they can't get good grades and there's a lot of them who are misdiagnosed or no diagnosed at all. Maybe books like this one can help them get helped or at least help them believe in themself. It was a really great story about trying to believe in yourself when you think that you're a failure and also about discovering how far you can push yourself and what you're willing to do to continue doing what you love.
May 28, 2014
Martin has been diagnosed with ADHD and prescribed medication for a problem he doesn't have. He doesn't take it, and nothing helps, until he meets a boy named Stick who has less than he does, but Stick also has so much more. Stick is a parkour Expert who envies Martin his family. But Martin envies the easy acceptance Stick gets from his foster mom. This beautiful book takes you through Martin's misdiagnosis, walks you through his self-made workarounds for his dyslexia and then off to a wonderful place where he can make films, flip and be who he is AND have his parents not thinking he's lazy and undisciplined. He has a learning disability. But he's certainly not stupid. A wonderful, realistic book about kids with real life problems, and a happy resolution. I enjoyed every page, and then I shared it with my 10 year old, who read it in one night. His comment -- "I loved it." So did I.
October 7, 2016
Austen Young
Ms. Moles
English I
7 October 2016
Stupid
The book Stupid is about people that do parkour to win a movie contest for 20,000 dollars. The theme is in a city where the main character lives in a ghetto neighborhood, for money he sells his medicine to buy more stuff for his camera and other stuff. The name of the book is Stupid is because everyone around him thinks he’s stupid because he doesn't do his homework, doesn't do good on tests also he can't read. My opinion on the book, is that I suggest it to anyone who likes to read drama’s and about parkour.
The reason I like the book stupid is because of the parkour and entering a contest to win money. The book didn't really affect me, but the book could affect someone else who is more into books than me and better at understanding stuff.
Ms. Moles
English I
7 October 2016
Stupid
The book Stupid is about people that do parkour to win a movie contest for 20,000 dollars. The theme is in a city where the main character lives in a ghetto neighborhood, for money he sells his medicine to buy more stuff for his camera and other stuff. The name of the book is Stupid is because everyone around him thinks he’s stupid because he doesn't do his homework, doesn't do good on tests also he can't read. My opinion on the book, is that I suggest it to anyone who likes to read drama’s and about parkour.
The reason I like the book stupid is because of the parkour and entering a contest to win money. The book didn't really affect me, but the book could affect someone else who is more into books than me and better at understanding stuff.
June 18, 2014
I received this free digital ARC through NetGalley.
Stupid did a great job of portraying the hardships faced by a student with a learning disability. I thought the relationship between Martin and his father was very believable. The descriptions of film-making and parkour moves were just brilliant. I'm not a very visual person, but I could "see" the moves in my mind. I did struggle with the idea that Martin's learning disability could have been misdiagnosed, but maybe that's the teacher in me being nit-picky. My favorite thing about the book was Stick's philosophy on parkour and life. This was an enjoyable read for me.
Stupid did a great job of portraying the hardships faced by a student with a learning disability. I thought the relationship between Martin and his father was very believable. The descriptions of film-making and parkour moves were just brilliant. I'm not a very visual person, but I could "see" the moves in my mind. I did struggle with the idea that Martin's learning disability could have been misdiagnosed, but maybe that's the teacher in me being nit-picky. My favorite thing about the book was Stick's philosophy on parkour and life. This was an enjoyable read for me.
May 19, 2014
A very enjoyable book and something I could recommend to a high/low reader or anyone. Experiencing how Martin sees the world is very eye opening for someone with limited experience with dyslexia. The adventure of parkour, the videography interest, and the friendship and family relations were all believable and interesting. Very well done.
December 30, 2014
An easy YA read. I read it in an evening. It's a great read if you're trying to understand dyslexia.
August 28, 2015
This book was a great insight on what it's like to have a disorder but be percieved as stupid. Very uplifting and fast to get into.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews