Totally Middle School: Tales of Friends, Family, and Fitting In

by Betsy Groban (editor)

From literary masterminds Lois Lowry, Gary D. Schmidt, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, Karen Cushman, Gregory Maguire, and more comes a timeless and inspirational anthology about the sometimes-challenging, always-rewarding coming-of-age years: middle school.

With eleven short stories told in text messages, emails, formal letters, stories in verse, and even a mini graphic novel, Totally Middle School tackles a range of important subjects, from peer pressure, family issues, and cultural barriers to the unexpected saving grace of music, art, friendship, and reading.

Brimming with heart and humor, these poignant stories from bestselling and award-winning authors shine a light on the moments when everything is thrilling and terrifying at the same time--in a way it will never be again.

Genres: Short Stories, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Childrens, Friendship, School, Fiction

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 7, 2018

Reviews

[Joan Arbogast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking of read-alouds, this title could work well for teachers reading short stories to their classes. As well as middle graders/tweens reading to themselves. Some of today's best-loved authors are represented here. This can introduce readers to a variety of authors, and/or writing style, that they may or may not be familiar with.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

My old boss at HMH and friend, Betsy, edited this book of short stories all about middle school, and it's great! She was able to get some awesome authors to contribute, and the stories are funny, touching, surprising, and unique. I'm a little biased since I got thanked in the acknowledgements, but I think anyone in middle school or having gone to middle school will be able to relate to something in one of these fabulous stories.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Middle School is essential for the student about to start middle school and would make a great gift for the graduating 5th or 6th grader. For my full review, visit http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally Middle School : Tales of Friends, Family and Fitting in edited by Betsy Groban 178 pages. SHORT STORIES Penguin Random House, 2018 $16.99

Language: PG (4 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG.

BUYING ADVISORY: EL -ESSENTIAL, MS -ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

13 different authors have penned 11 stories about Middle School. This wonderful collection includes stories by Lois Lowry, Gregory Maguire, Gary Schmidt and Karen Cushman who have written stories about Family: Katie's Language Arts teacher is her aunt, and she is trying to avoid embarrassment; twins Beulah Mae and Margaret Mary have been assigned different middle schools; a boy takes care of a soldier's dog when he is drafted for Vietnam; and moving to a different state the first year of middle school is really hard. Hena Khan, Mary Downing Hahn and Margarita Engle write about friends: Raniya, only 3 months in America, is going on a 3 day sleep away field trip; Cassie is forced to choose between best friends; and a girl counts down to her first school dance. Joyce Sidman, Katherine and Jordan Paterson, Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin, and David Wiesner write about fitting in: Band Class, Facetime conversations to help navigate Middle School, Joining a school club, and feeling really out of place in the building.

After each story, there is a middle school picture of the author and a short bio. That was my favorite part. The Top 10 Things to do Before Middle School list at the end is on point. These stories are so engaging, so well written! Totally Middle School is essential for the student about to start middle school and would make a great gift for the graduating 5th or 6th grader.

Lisa Librarian
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of the stories felt fake or forced; I know the age is awkward, but that doesn't mean that the writing has to be. Plus one was really tragic, where if the purpose of the book is to encourage new middle schoolers, maybe that is not the best way.

I thought the best selections were the Letters by Lois Lowry, How to Make S'Mores by Hena Khan, and Imaginary Mambo by Margarita Engle.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Read at work for review for ROYAL*

Totally Middle School is a collection of short stories told through letters, prose, verse, text message, and even a very short graphic novel at the end. Each story focuses on a different topic, ranging from “family,” “friends and fitting in,” and “finding yourself,” as each main character deals with a different aspect of middle school life.

The book is pretty straight forward and was enjoyable to read. It’s something I wish I would have had to look to when I was in middle school. This is definitely a novel I would recommend for any young reluctant readers because each story isn’t longer than ten pages or so, so they can finish one complete story and have a sense of accomplishment. Some stories were better than others, but all were important in their messages.

I particularly enjoyed the last prose story, Dog People, the most because it showed two kids in an after school animal club who were quite different from each other, learn to get along and treat each other with kindness and respect. One of the kids, William, is very serious for a middle schooler. He’s into routine and logic and sometimes gets upset when his routine is disrupted or his logic is disproven. It seems to me like he is autistic, or somewhere on the spectrum. Lucy is wary of William at first, not understanding some of his practices, or reasoning. By the end of the story, however, it’s through their dogs and their love of animals that they come to an understanding about each other and become friends. This story and all the others in the collection have important messages and values for young kids to learn. Plus, this particular story also has portions of it told through the dog’s perspective, so that was pretty fun.

Definitely an important book middle schoolers should check out!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this much-needed collection a 3.5 partly because it is territory that isn't explored nearly enough and partly because of the wide variety of its contents, something that is sure to attract its intended audience, maybe offering reassurance that middle grades can be survived and demystifying some of the most frightening parts. Using various formats including emails, texts, letters, poetry, narration, and a short graphic novel, eleven short pieces highlight the unique challenges and joys that are associated with middle school. The usual themes associated with this particular time, including issues surrounding family, fitting in, and perhaps most important, fitting in, are explored here. All of the book's contents are worth reading, but my favorites were "The Skater" by Mary Downing Hahn, which explores the notion that being uncool just might be contagious, and "When She Whined in Her Sleep" by Gary D. Schmidt, which describes the aftermath of military service in Vietnam for one young man and his beloved dog, Mindy. Oh, my, both of these short stories broke my heart and left me thinking.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the short stories were cute. A couple were disappointing. Others were good but didn't really have anything to do with Middle School. It gets two stars because I think the editor failed to put together stories that really grasped middle school today.
I will though give 3 stars to Letters by Lois Lowry, How to Make S'mores by Hena Kahn and Imaginary Mambo by Margarita Engle. I will also give 4 stars to TBH I Need HELP!! by Katherina Paterson and Jordan Paterson.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just did not feel that this collection fit the marketing. Many stories really had nothing to do with middle school per se, and I feel like I could barely relate to the stories. I am sure my students wouldn't. Besides being off topic and unrelatable, they also weren't very interesting to read! Sigh. I rarely review so harshly but I was disappointed.

[Joy Kirr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this collection of short stories - something for everyone! I’d like to remember to share with students “How to Make S’mores” by Hena Khan before we head out for our outdoor education class. (I only wish they were memoirs so we could use them in a memoir unit…)

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars.

I have a very hard time with short stories and this collection was no exception. Despite the big names included here only one or two of the stories really resonated with me. I wanted a really relatable middle school book, but I don't think this was it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stellar lineup of authors in this short story collection about middle school. I especially liked the personalized bios of each author.

[Kiran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving collections of stories and poems.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Collection of short stories. Each author includes a middle school picture of himself or herself. Some stories were better than others.

[JL Salty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book - for 6th grader’s entering middle school.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Letters" by Lois Lowry. A student writes two letters to her new English teacher, prior to her first year in middle school. The first letter is a business letter, and the second one is a friendly letter that reveals that the teacher is actually the student's aunt. This was fun and funny, and I liked the voice, but I thought it ended too abruptly; it could have been longer, as it felt more like a first chapter than a complete story. I was also a little confused by the mention of gender, as I was not able to tell if the student were having concerns about their gender, or if it was something else. Whatever it was, it was not addressed again.

"What Planet Are You From?" by Gregory Maguire. Twin girls in Massachusetts couldn’t be more different. One is logical and practical, and the other is always donning characters from books and embarrassing her sister by talking in a southern accent or something akin. Now they are about to find out if their school district will split them up for middle school, something neither feels able to face. There was a lot of good world building in this one, and the characters were well established. I found it frustrating, though, that it ended before you found out whether the girls would attend the same school or not. Again this felt like a first chapter, not a complete short story.

"When She Whined in Her Sleep" by Gary Schmidt. In the Vietnam war era, Ethan has always known Donnie and his dog Mindy, who worships Donnie. When Donnie gets drafted, he asks Ethan to look after Mindy. Ethan does, but what will happen when--or if--Donnie returns? This one is a heartbreaker. It captures so well why so many kids prefer dogs to people, and it shows how much dogs love their people, and how nothing about war is good.

"Looking For Home" by Karen Cushman. This story in verse is about a girl who moves with her family from Chicago to California in, I think, the 1950s, and finds that she just does not fit in in California and is always looking back to her life in Chicago. I liked the wistfulness and the sensory details of this one, and the concrete memories that paint the picture of her life in Chicago. I liked that it was about belonging and not belonging, and that sometimes neither one applies to you. I believe this was based on the author's own experiences.

"How to Make S'mores" by Hena Khan. Raniya just moved to the US from Pakistan three months ago, and is still trying to adjust to life in an American sixth grade where she has no friends, and everything is different from her life back in Pakistan. Then her class goes on a three day trip to a camp for outdoor ed, and although Raniya initially does not want to go, it turns out better than she expected--especially the s’mores. I liked this one. It was gentle and had a lot of good detail, and showed that not every newcomer's experience is bullies and racist comments. While I know that for many people, that is their experience, I found this refreshing and hopeful.

"The Skater" by Mary Downing Hahn. Cassie is 13, and stuck between childhood and adolescence. She has decided to stay a child, like her friend Ellie, and has resisted all exhortations to wear lipstick and cut her hair and go out with boys. But it's becoming harder and harder to stay friends with Ellie, who is a hypochondriac and a whiner. Cassie's other friend, Arlene, is going the route of lipstick and boys, and urges Cassie to do the same--not to get stuck with only Ellie. Cassie does not know where she fits in. I thought this was an honest exploration of how your mind changes as you get older, and is capable of deeper thought and realizations, many of which are not comfortable. Good details about skating on a frozen lake, too. The story doesn’t really have an ending, though, which was a little irritating. It's also irritating when girls are presented with only two choices for how they grow up--they can either go the lipstick and boys route, or the ungainly child who will be mocked route. There is no one way to grow up, and there are so many more resources now for girls who want to break the mold. Good details about skating on a frozen lake.

"Imaginary Mambo" by Margarita Engle. This story in verse is about a -seventh grader who is so dreading her first middle school mixer because she doesn’t know how to dance. It's so easy, it seems, for her parents and others who came from Cuba, but so different for a Cuban-American born in the US. I thought this was lovely and poignant and so accurate. That abject nervousness is so familiar and so middle school, but combined with such beautiful language and insight. I loved that in the end, main character didn’t have to be one of the stereotypical popular girls to continue on and be happy in seventh grade. There is more than one way to grow up.

"Ode to the Band Room" by Joyce Sidman. This is a short poem about a middle school band room. I think it perfectly captures the atmosphere and the purpose. I love the "tilted skeletons of music stands" line.

"TBH I Need Help!!" This one is by Katherine Paterson and her granddaughter Jordan. It is modern epistolary, being text messages and FaceTime conversations. Amanda is starting middle school, and is panicking about getting lost and too much homework and lockers and more, but she is close to her high school cousin Katie, who talks her through all the details. I didn’t love this one because it felt kind of like an after school special, with lots of didactic advice. Not necessarily bad advice, but it had a lesson-y feel to it that kind of turned me off.

"Dog People." The story is by Linda Sue Park and her daughter Anna, and is told from the perspectives of Kimchi the dog, and Lucy the human. Lucy joins an animal welfare club in school, along with her best friend. A boy in the club, William, is really annoying and interrupts all the time. We learn from Kimchi’s conversation with William's dog, Polly, that William is probably Asperger’s. I liked the story a lot, because it had great details, baking, and I enjoyed the dog voice. I liked that it showed that first impressions can be misleading, and that you can be friends even with someone you don’t like at first if you're willing to change your mind about your first impression.

"Middle School" by David Wiesner. This short graphic-novel format story is David starting sixth grade at a time when they stuck all the sixth graders in the high school building because of space issues, and it was pretty scary. I liked this one, but it was too short to have much plot; more of an anecdote than a story.

Overall I liked the collection, though I liked some stories more than others. Each story is followed by an author bio, featuring a picture of them in middle school, which was a nice addition.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I doubt there's a middle schooler who would enjoy all of the selections in this book so I recommend skipping any that don't catch your fancy. Some of them are set in much earlier decades and that's fine with me but a younger reader might not have the background to understand the context and settings.

Favorites:
-When She Whined in Her Sleep by Gary Schmidt (most serious selection in the book- set in Vietnam war era)
-Looking for Home by Karen Cushman (set in mid-20th century maybe?)
-How to Make S'mores by Hena Khan
-Ode to the Band Room by Joyce Sidman
-Dog People by Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin (this story was too long but I liked it for its depiction of a boy with [presumed] autism

[C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had a couple of good stories, some ok, and one story that I couldn't believe they added.

[Andee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of favorite authors writing short stories about middle school. There is a story to appeal to every reader. A great selection of reads for pre-teens ready for that new chapter in their lives.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Toby Abrahamsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good short stories for 6th grade teachers to read aloud. I especially liked the Gary Schmidt story. Not everything is spelled out, so good for inferences,

[behsforensics]

Cutting is for Imaginary Mambo
By Margarita Engle