Happy Kid!

by Gail Gauthier

After his mother bribes him into reading a self-help book on how to form satisfying relationships and enjoy a happy life, cynical eighth-grader Kyle finds there may be more to the book than he realized.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Humor, Teen, Fiction, Contemporary

192 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2005

About the author

Gail Gauthier has written eight books for children, as well as short stories, essays, and creative nonfiction for adults. She also writes about children's books and writing at her blog Original Content.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by Gauthier. In this one, 8th grader Kyle is just trying to live down seventh grade, which ended with him being escorted through the school by a police officer, after a screwdriver (which he made in shop class) slipped out of his backpack and was mistaken for a weapon by his bus driver. Picture of his dad hugging him in the school parking lot (but not his name, of course, as if that would help save his reputation) in the school paper. The shop teacher got in trouble, and now the school's thugs think Kyle is one of them. This year he just wants to be invisible. Get back with some of his old friends, maybe get a cute girl to look at him.

So he's not enthused when his mom gives him a self help book: "Happy Kid: A Young Person's Guide to Satisfying Relationships and a Happy and Meaning-Filled Life". Gag me, right? She's a family therapist. But this book just "spoke" to her in the Wal-Mart--and we find out why: It's sort of magic. It has a way of flopping open to particular chapters that have pithy, Dr. Phil-ish advice--which usually makes no sense to Kyle but which he reluctantly notices sort of works. Sometimes the advice makes more sense afterwards. The magical aspect is downplayed nicely, and Kyle's only reading it because his mom pays him a dollar for every chapter.

What's of note here is the stuff about fitting in, A-kids (what Kyle calls the kids in accelerated classes), and honesty. (Their English teacher accidentally gives them a practice essay from an old standardized test, which turns up on the actual test.) And especially bouncing back. Yes, bad stuff can happen, plans can go completely wrong and life can suck. But you can also meet new people, try new things (Kyle discovers he has a wicked kick in taekwondo), and sometimes things DON'T suck. Kyle's dad, a scoffer at his wife's psych-speak, dispenses dry, somewhat negative advice, like: by the time you get to be his age, you've been embarrassed so many times you stop worrying about it. Great.

I think kids will like the subversive tone of this, even as they wonder how Kyle will get out of the whole mess. The combination of the peppy advice book and Kyle's pessimism is terrific. Readers will relate to having well-meaning parents try to shape their lives, as well as the humiliating minefield that is middle school, snarky siblings--the whole packege. Fun.

I just had a thought--Kyle is like the opposite of Cap in Gordon Korman's Schooled--Cap is oblivious to the school's social undercurrents, and always expects things to work out, while Kyle expects the worst and is all too aware of the shoals he's navigating. Gauthier's description of finding a table at lunch is perfectly terrifying.

Schooled

[Jun Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kyle, the main character, tries to survive his school year by following his mother’s directions. Kyle, shy and not talkative, is bribed by his whole family to talk and socialize with his friends, totally different from what Kyle was going to do over the year. He also has a crush on a girl named Chelsea, a blonde who goes to TaeKwonDo, with his friends. During these stressful adventures, he faces going to the office with Melissa to report a teacher who did something wrong, according to her.
This book is mainly entertaining because of the way Kyle, the main character in this story, faces lots of stressful arguments, and fights through his shyness with talking to people. He also faces Taw Kwon Do, which is mother told him to do because most of his friends were training there. During Tae Kwon Do, he faces yet the biggest obstacle he has to tackle, and it’s his secret crush, Chelsea. Kyle mostly does stupid acts to get himself attracted with Chelsea, and sometimes it’s worth a big laugh. Kyle gets guided by a book named Happy Kid! The book guides him through life, giving obvious but meaningful paragraphs of what Kyle should do to make himself optimistic. This book majorly introduces humor, because Kyle slips and slides through trying to Chelsea attracted to him. Kyle is very clumsy, yet very serious when it comes to talking to the principal. HAPPY KID! Is missing descriptive words to describe Kyle’s surroundings, and the author, Gail Gauthier, doesn’t introduce much of Kyle’s family, which is a big bomb because without the family’s background information, you can never know who Kyle is, and where he came from.

I would recommend this book to pessimistic and unlucky people because their characteristics would change right away when they read the first ten pages of the book.

[Mackenzey Rae · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just read this book Happy Kid by Gail Gauthier, but it wasn't very good. The dialogue isn't interesting, and neither is the main character Kyle. The whole book is about a magical self-help book. Not very exciting is it. I would not recommend this book to anybody, ever.

[Cheryl]

I probably would have loved this when I was thirteen. But not so much, now. I appreciate other reviewers' thoroughness so I didn't have to slog through the middle of it. November 2024

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As annoying as it is to middle school kids, Mom’s sometimes worry about their kids. Imagine your Mom, in an effort to try to make you a happier person, bribes you (with money!!) to read a book called Happy Kid: a young person's guide to satisfying Relationships and a Happy Meaning-filled Life! I know, I know...I can hear the groans from kids already. Well, this happened to Kyle.

Kyle is an average kid just trying to make it through 7th grade at Bert P. Trotts Middle School. At the end of 6th grade, Kyle did a school project that ended up having him being accused of bringing a weapon to school. He proves his innocence, but the reputation he got from that incident carries over into the new school year. In an effort to help him improve his attitude and help him make it through the school year, his mother has purchased a self help book for him, Happy Kid: a young person's guide to satisfying Relationships and a Happy Meaning-filled Life!

Kyle is mortified (wouldn’t you be?!) but takes his Mom up on her offer to pay him for every chapter he reads. His goal in life is probably similar to most middle school kids; he just wants to blend in and, well, it would be cool to have a girlfriend.

Anyway, for Kyle, as with a lot of kids in school, finding a comfortable place to sit at lunch the first day of school is a big problem. He is also having a hard time in his advanced placement classes where he has been mistakenly placed. On top of that, he is trying to find some friends and time for having fun when he’s not in school. He is faced with a major ethical dilemma and he wants to do the right thing. But he risks losing everything he has gained by doing it. Tough. And to top it off, the school bully thinks Kyle is “his man”. Oh no.

When Kyle reads the book he’s been bribed into reading, he wonders why it keeps opening to the same chapter. It only changes to a new chapter once the current chapter’s issue (and also Kyle’s issue) has been properly taken care of in his life. How does a book seem to always know what help he needs?

Find out in the hilarious book Happy Kid!

[Nicanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gail Gauthier wrote Happy Kid that is the book I read. First Happy Kid is about a kid named Kyle who has had a bad life since a trouble in the 6th grade. Kyle receives a book named happy kid as a back to school present. Happy kid is a self - help book and Kyle is obviously not interesting in it but when his mother offers to pay him to read it, Kyle accepts. First Happy Kid has some weird fraises like: “ You’ll never form satisfying relationships if you only think of yourself and just take care of your own workload. Somebody needs your help. It wouldn’t kill you to lend a hand. Working together with others is working together with others.” This book starts influencing Kyle a lot in his life in school, his difficult accelerated classes and his friends. I really did like this book because it had some good characterization like how it characteristics Jake Rogers is really good. Another thing would be that the language in this book is kind of bad because sometimes they say bad words but its fun. But in some parts nothing interesting happened and it was a bit boring. Finally I would recommend this book to everyone because it’s entertaining and fun to read.

[84-The_enlightment_of_Doctor_Grace_part5_Jesus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Happy kid is about a kid named Kyle who has no friends. His mother buys him a book called Happy Kid. Everytime he opens the book, it stays on the same page until he does what the book tells him to do. It's almost like the Number 23, when the guy starts to act like the guy in the story. In the end Kyle get's his friend back and he learns a valuable lesson, sometimes the things you want are the things you aren't supposed to get. And sometimes in order to get what you want, you have to go out on a limb.
Gail Gauthier did a exquisite job writing this book. Alot of people can relate to how Kyle feels at the beginning of the book, and this book does give good ideas on how to get through seventh grade {or any grade for that matter.} It was just so *pauses to wipe eyes* beautiful!! *SOB, GASP CRY* Oh Kyle, I know how you feel. Not really but *blows nose* it's just so sad. After reading this, I will never be the same again. *weep weep, sob*

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since the incident with the screwdriver at the end of sixth grade, Kyle has been living in his own pessimistic cloud. Concerned, his therapist mom gives him a self-help book and bribes him with a dollar for each chapter read. Kyle is surprised to find that the book tends to fall open to exactly the pages he needs--and even more surprised to find that the book's advice works. There's a chance that Kyle can reconnect with his old friends, make some new ones, and even redeem himself by doing the right thing. Maybe his seventh-grade glass can be half-full, after all.

Less about bullying and fitting in than I was looking for, but still worthwhile in terms of positivity and outlook, and modifying destructive behaviors. I don't think this needs to be a required summer reading nominee, but I'll probably add it to my booktalks list.

[SadieElias]

The book Happy kid! is about a middle school boy named Kyle Rideau in witch everybody knows him as a mass shooter from a sixth grade incident that had to do with a scrue driver, Kyle decides he wants to be a quiet kid that no one knew existed. One day his mom came home with back to school presents for him and his sister lauren, that didnt mean anything good to Kyle because the last time she got them presents it wasnt what he expected so he wasnt so pleased about the idea of a present. Once he opend his present and relized it was a book he didnt like the idea of it the and wanted to retern, it was called "happy kid!" Kyles mom wouldnt let him return it and decited to pay him $1.00 for every chapter he read. It was the day before 7th grade and kyle needed a dollar so he decided to read a chapter of "happy kid!" it told him to start with hello Kyle didnt really care about that he just told his mom and got a dollar and got ready for school. Once kyle got on the bus he started to say "hello" to everybody and he did this all day! He said it to teachers students and friends. Once he got home he was furious and thought "happy kid!" was cursing him or something. For every chapter he read what the chapter said alwase reflected on what he said or did. After a wile of reading "happy kid!" he relized all the pages were empty exept for the pages the book wanted him to read. By then Kyle started to care about what the chapters told him and made it reflect on his life and it did.

I liked this book because it shows readers that its imortent and healthy to be happy. And the kids in this book are my age so it makes it easer to understand whats going on in this book. I liked how this book is very interesting and kept me awake wile i was readeing. there are funnie parts, and even fustraiteing parts in this book. I highly recomend you to read it.

[Kasen.A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book Happy kid by Gail Gauthier at my school library. The main character is a young boy named Kyle who is extremely negative and is working on bettering himself after a terrible incident. The setting takes place at his home and his school mainly. His family and friends are a big part of this book.
Kyle has fallen into the bad kids at school after an incident took place. He came back to school looking for a way to better himself and get out of the bad crowd. His mother gives him a book called Happy Kid, he then finds the book relating to his life as it helps him on being less negative.
The end of the book in my opinion was really good, I really liked the book. I also could kind of relate to some of the situations in the book. My favorite part of the book was when he started to like Chelsea and started doing stuff to get her to like him.
My personal opinion of the book was that it’s a good book about a kid who really trying to change his life from bad to better, and kind of drown out the negativity. The kind of people who might like this book would be young teens or kids in middle school. I also think anyone who really just likes reading books about people changing their life’s. It has its funny moments too so whoever reads this might like humor too.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was dope

[Fbooks75 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Happy Kid is about a boy named Kyle.Since an incident at the end of 6th grade he has been very negative.Not just about school,but every thing!His mom finds this book called Happy Kid and wants him to read it."I'm not readig that book",he said.What changed his mind was that his mom was going to give him a dollar every time he read a chapter in the book.At first he is just readig the book to get money.Then he relizes that the book is helping him be a "Happy Kid."
The author's purpose is to entertain.The book's message is that by beliving in yourself you can belive in someone else. Some of the themes of this book are to never give up, don't be negative and that things will always get better.The author's writing style is fiction.

[Brandon O'Neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

The next book on the 7th grade list. I didn't like this one as much and unfortunately, I recommended it. It wasn't horrible, but, much like some elements in the book Wringer, there are unexplained events going on. In this one, a mom buys her middle school son a self help book called Happy Kid! To get him to read it, she will give him a dollar for every chapter he finishes. Something is up with the book, though. It will only open to certain passages that happen to match up with Kyle's life, and won't turn the page until he does what it says, which does make his life better. The how is unexplained, which I didn't like. An OK read, though, especially if you deal with really negative middle schoolers!

[Zayd Nubani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book "Happy Kid" follows the path of Kyle a troubled Seventh grader who resents his sister, is always mad at his mother and his father is to tired to bother with him. In the beginning of the year Kyle's mother gives him a back to school present, but the present she gives Kyle is "Happy Kid" a self help book to make yourself a better person and gain more friends. Kyle becomes frustrated and resents the book and decides that he does not need friends he only needs himself. However Kyle's past from sixth grade comes to haunt him and an unwanted friend comes along (Jake) who may possibly have the power to blow his cover? Kyle must use "Happy Kid" to guide him through his troubles, only reading this book can tell you what happens...

[freaking crazy ninja man83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Kid is about a boy named Kyle.Kyle is a pestimistic boy who wants to be ignored for his whole school year.The day before scool started his mom gave hime a book.Guess what,the name of the book is named HAPPY KID!.HAPPY KID! is a self help book that will try to help Kyle get through his year.
The book was great because it can relate to real tenage people.It was also good since it had some moments where Kyle gets into some trouble which happens alot.It was funny that sometimes the characters were cursing alot.It had some parts that were kind of boring and unexciting though.

[travelmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is for my DD11 who is a reluctant reader. I'm looking for books that are funny but not too stupid. It's a tough call. She loved Blubber by Judy Blume and read it in 2-days... any suggestions appreciated!

I'm going to consider this read even though I didn't finish it. I tried but I kept keeping it passed the library due date! What I read of it was cute though and my kids also each read it and liked it. I hope to finish it someday. lol

Four stars for being funny. Might have been 5 if I finished it!

[Devin Middleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about Kyle. Kyle takes the worst out of everything. On the day befor Kyle starts seventh grade his mom gives him a self help book. Kyle thinks is stupid. One day he reads and does what the book says. So the problemi is Kyle needs help makings and having a meaning full live. This problem is solved after Kyle reads the whole book.
The message is allways make the best out of things even if you don't want to.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy kid is about a boy who now is just starting the 7th grade.In his family's mind he really struggles with day-to-day life,while in his own way its complicated on how to fit in with all the crowds.So his mother buys him a book called "happy kid" which sure didn't make him a happy kid,but his mother had a catch,For every chapter he reads he gets a dollar and each page is a chapter on life and how to deal with situations u may face in life.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kyle just wants to lay low in 7th grade, after the "misunderstanding" involving a screwdriver and a state trooper in 6th grade. His mom is concerned about this negativity, so she buys him a self help book called Happy Kid! Kyle gets her to pay him a dollar for each chapter he reads. Somehow, he finds himself reading passages that offer advice to complicate, not simplify, his life. But Kyle may become a happy kid yet!

[Andrew Liu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a year 7 student called Kyle who seems to have a bad life, as he gets bullyed in his school. Also, that Kyle doesn't socialize, he has become friendless. Because of that, his mother gifted him a book. This book ends up being magical and helps him by giving advice depending on his situations. I personally enjoyed the whole storyline of this book and all the plots that Gail Gauthier has added into "Happy Kid!".

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was actually a really good book. One of the best I've read. It's about a kid who's mother gets him a magical book that has a different message each day. He learns what is right and wrong and how he can fix up his life. The book's messages tie in with the story really well. Its pretty interesting to see what the book has to say next.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'll pay you a dollar for every chapter you read." I have said the same thing to my kids!

Kyle's mom buys him a back-to-school present - a self-help book. As Kyle actually begins to read it he discovers that the book falls open to certain pages - actually the subject or problem he needs to work on.
Great story about and eighth grade boy and his friends.

[Tweller83 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy gets the book Happy Kid from his mom because it just "screamed" his name. It only opens to the chapters that seem to apply to his situation and life at the time. The book will continue to open to that same chapter until he either learns that lesson or goes through the experience. Great read that I would recommend for all students.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a bout a kid that has no friend in school and his mom found him a book called happy kid and he get a doller ever time he read a chapter and he wasn't gong to do it but them his sister said he was crazy read 7 chapters a week and get dobble his allowens and her sister said shell do it and than he said no he'll slit and now he's read ing the hole book

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, when can you read a book, that you seriously can't stop? The story line, characters, everything was spot on, hitting every goal a writer should have. It drew me in from the start, to the finish. Now, I am passing you on the knowledge of this book(you will understand if you read the book). I would recommend this book to any 5-7th grade student.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Bookworms book, selected because it is a Georgia Book Nominee for this year. Although not the most steller GA nominee ever, it is very typical middle school, and the Worms seemed to enjoy it for the most part.

[Johanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" you will definitely like this book. It has more of a storyline unlike "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" ,but has the same humor and stupidity( if you know what imean by that).

[Ryker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best book. its a book to read if you have no friends. actually pretty boring. The only reason i finished is because i had to read for school and had nothing else. the rating really tells it all!

[Angelstar Cheng · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book!Entertaining, but a little wierd.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book I read so long ago...