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Please Remove Your Elbow from My Ear
Stormy Sprague is convinced he's always in trouble because he just can't think or act like everyone else. One minute he's being pushed around; the next he's in trouble with a teacher and serving time in detention with all the other "misfits". Who would think the bunch they call "the dregs of the detention dungeon" would form a floor hockey team and have the nerve to compete against the unbeatable Screaming Eagles?
The challenge is one big joke as far as the Screaming Eagles are concerned. But these wiseguys underestimate Stormy and the Dregs who have their own game plan - for dealing with bullies, and for winning the trophy cup. And it's all based on being just a bunch of nuts!
The challenge is one big joke as far as the Screaming Eagles are concerned. But these wiseguys underestimate Stormy and the Dregs who have their own game plan - for dealing with bullies, and for winning the trophy cup. And it's all based on being just a bunch of nuts!
122 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1993
11 people want to read
About the author
Martyn Godfrey
38 books7 followersMartyn N. Godfrey (April 17, 1949—2000) was an English-Canadian author of children's fantasy books. Born in Birmingham, England, he moved to Toronto, Ontario when he was eight. Godfrey graduated from university in 1974 with a teaching degree.
Godfrey was the Edmonton Public Library’s writer-in-residence in 1989. He died in 2000. The Young Alberta Book Association presents an annual Martyn Godfrey Young Writers Award in his name.
Godfrey was the Edmonton Public Library’s writer-in-residence in 1989. He died in 2000. The Young Alberta Book Association presents an annual Martyn Godfrey Young Writers Award in his name.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 28, 2013
I still love reading this book, even though I'm 30. The first time I read it I laughed hysterically, and it still makes me smile.
It's a fun little book. Not deep or groundbreaking, but if you were ever a teased in junior high, you can identify with the characters. What I love most about it, though, is the romance, even though on first glance it doesn't SEEM like a romantic book.
There are several hook-ups between the male and female characters. None of the female characters are particularly objectified, and the romance seems entirely based on personality - falling in mutual weirdness, you could say. I loved it when I was younger, and I love it now.
Martyn Godfreys books tend to have strong female characters, and this one was no exception. The main character is a boy, but there are just as many female characters as male, and they all play an important role.
So, in sum - funny, cute, rings true, and promotes good relationship styles. All in all, a great little book.
It's a fun little book. Not deep or groundbreaking, but if you were ever a teased in junior high, you can identify with the characters. What I love most about it, though, is the romance, even though on first glance it doesn't SEEM like a romantic book.
There are several hook-ups between the male and female characters. None of the female characters are particularly objectified, and the romance seems entirely based on personality - falling in mutual weirdness, you could say. I loved it when I was younger, and I love it now.
Martyn Godfreys books tend to have strong female characters, and this one was no exception. The main character is a boy, but there are just as many female characters as male, and they all play an important role.
So, in sum - funny, cute, rings true, and promotes good relationship styles. All in all, a great little book.
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December 30, 2020Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything.
So this is a book about sports. I am not into sports very much at all. So this is not so much the book for me just on that aspect alone. If you like underdog sports stories, you might be more into that, but that kind of story just isn’t for me.
I will give it props for showing girls playing floor hockey, and having the teams be mixed by default, and no one making a big deal out of that. It’s just how the school is doing it, not something the girls have to fight for, and no one acts like girls can’t play sports or keep up with boys. There are girl characters who are way more into sports, and a lot better at them, than some of the boy characters, and that’s just treated as normal. The girls, for the most part, also do have personalities. Which, you know, doesn’t always happen in books written by men aimed more at boys, let’s be honest.
This also had some funny moments. I wasn’t crying from laughter, but I smiled a few times. This is also one of those weird 90s books where the characters are twelve and in seventh grade, but reads like they’re fifteen or sixteen. It’s an interesting thing that happened in the 80s and 90s before the boundaries of middle grade and young adult were more firmly defined.
Anyways, not the worst thing I’ve read but I don’t feel the need to keep this one. I did laugh at the dates inside though – my library used to stamp the due date on the inside cover of books, so this book was taken out October 1994, July 1995, and April 2005. There may have been an index card paperclipped to the first page at some point with other dates, but who took this book out in 2005? Was it me? It might have been me. I read a lot of books from our library in 2005.
Also I just found out Martyn Godfrey died in 2000, and I’m sad now. You were awesome, dude. I’m pouring a bag of barbecue chips out for you.
So this is a book about sports. I am not into sports very much at all. So this is not so much the book for me just on that aspect alone. If you like underdog sports stories, you might be more into that, but that kind of story just isn’t for me.
I will give it props for showing girls playing floor hockey, and having the teams be mixed by default, and no one making a big deal out of that. It’s just how the school is doing it, not something the girls have to fight for, and no one acts like girls can’t play sports or keep up with boys. There are girl characters who are way more into sports, and a lot better at them, than some of the boy characters, and that’s just treated as normal. The girls, for the most part, also do have personalities. Which, you know, doesn’t always happen in books written by men aimed more at boys, let’s be honest.
This also had some funny moments. I wasn’t crying from laughter, but I smiled a few times. This is also one of those weird 90s books where the characters are twelve and in seventh grade, but reads like they’re fifteen or sixteen. It’s an interesting thing that happened in the 80s and 90s before the boundaries of middle grade and young adult were more firmly defined.
Anyways, not the worst thing I’ve read but I don’t feel the need to keep this one. I did laugh at the dates inside though – my library used to stamp the due date on the inside cover of books, so this book was taken out October 1994, July 1995, and April 2005. There may have been an index card paperclipped to the first page at some point with other dates, but who took this book out in 2005? Was it me? It might have been me. I read a lot of books from our library in 2005.
Also I just found out Martyn Godfrey died in 2000, and I’m sad now. You were awesome, dude. I’m pouring a bag of barbecue chips out for you.
July 30, 2024
This was one of my favorite books when I was in upper elementary school. It's still a fun read. The kids are all silly, goofy middle schoolers, and the situations they find themselves in are a hoot. It does deal with bullying, and offers some consequences for the kids who are the bullies. I think that is important because many real-life bullies face no repercussions at all.
There is one thing that stand out to me now that I'm pretty sure I paid no attention to when I was a kid: the hockey teams must be mixed by gender, either three boys and two girls, or three girls and two boys. There is absolutely zero discussion on why the school insists on mixed gender teams, it just is. I love the way girls are portrayed as just as athletic and capable as boys, and it's not a big you-go-girl moment. It's simply the way things are. And to think, this book is from the early nineties.
There is one thing that stand out to me now that I'm pretty sure I paid no attention to when I was a kid: the hockey teams must be mixed by gender, either three boys and two girls, or three girls and two boys. There is absolutely zero discussion on why the school insists on mixed gender teams, it just is. I love the way girls are portrayed as just as athletic and capable as boys, and it's not a big you-go-girl moment. It's simply the way things are. And to think, this book is from the early nineties.
February 27, 2020
From when I was about 8 until age 12 (or whenever first read Vernon God Little), if anyone asked me what my favorite book I would tell them “Please Remove Your Elbow From My Ear.”
March 3, 2022
This was my FAVOURITE book (not counting the Goosebumps series 😄) when I was in late elementary. I must have read it 4 or 5 times between grades 5 & 6.
December 18, 2023
The title alone earns four stars. The story also does because it is about kids labeled as misfits who conquer all.
December 9, 2025
Funny book for the right age. Nothing earth shattering but a fun quick read.
November 15, 2010
His name is stormy spargue and he's known as the clown in his school for always getting in trouble with everyone especially his teachers. The number of times he's went in to detention is so numerous that its hard to count now. Every day he's getting in to trouble or being mocked at but one day his life changed in school. In detention Stormy and his friends of mitfits from detention decide to form a hockey team so they can compete in there school's hockey tournament. They named there selves as the Dregs and went against the odds and won the competition. Stormy showed the world how's its done when his team surprisedly won against the team the Screaming eagles, a undefeated team that was undoubtedly was supposed to win.
December 22, 2010
I gave this book four stars because I really liked what it is about. This book showed something that really happens in middle school, getting bullied. Stormy, the main character gets bullied quite a bit. Stormy is not very popular but he wants to be. He gets together a team for the floor hockey tournament. This book shows people can overcome things in their life. That is why I think this book deserves four stars.
March 1, 2010
I gave this book 3 stars because it was not my kind of book. This book is about floor hockey and a little romance. Everything in this book seems realistic. This book has a little violence in it. 2 guys like different girls amd both end up with them on they're floor hockey team one of the girls got detention and the other was one was a girlfriend of one of them. Find out who by reading the book.
May 4, 2015
this was pretty cute. the dialogue is a bit stiff sometimes but mostly hilarious and adorable. it deals with things like bullying and bravery and sticking to your guns even if it makes you an outcast. i'm such a sucker for underdog sports stories and i love how this one celebrates being a misfit and letting your freak flag fly. now i want to watch mighty ducks real bad.
September 30, 2012
I loved this book. I find it so sad that I have yet to read another book that made me laugh out loud as much as this one did. The world needs more authors out there like Martyn Godfrey, rest his soul, he was a true genius.
December 11, 2012
Read this book as a 10 year old but it'll never get old!!! Obviously a children's story but involves an underdog group of kids who do their best to overcome long odds...
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January 23, 2019Why Am I here? I have no idea. Strange how things rattle around in your brain. I was listening to 90s radio on Spotify and the song by Our Lady Peace came on, you know, that one, or at least you would if you heard it again. Anyway there's a line about how he loves her purple hair, and it made me think back to this book I read as kid where the girlfriend had purple hair (I think?) I somehow immediately remembered the title. I remember nothing about this book except there's a chapter called 'do you want to kiss me' where said purple haired girl shares a kiss with our protagonist and this was the first time in my life I ever considered kissing a girl. I remember rereading that chapter thinking, huh is that how it goes.
Why do I remember this? This is not useful information.
Why do I remember this? This is not useful information.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews