Shoebag

Shoebag #1

by Mary James

Awakening one morning to find that he has turned into a little boy, Shoebag the cockroach is adopted by the Biddle family and assimilated into human life, but he still yearns to be the roach he once was. Reprint.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Juvenile, School

144 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1992

About the author

A master of fiction for young adult, middle-grade, and even adult readers, the authors known as Mary James, M.E. Kerr, Ann Aldrich, M.J. Meaker, and Vin Packer were all born Marijane Meaker in 1927. “The idea of a pen name always fascinated me,” she explains, “because it is your only chance to name yourself. Sometimes when I am giving writing workshops for kids, I get them to name themselves. I think everybody likes disguises.”

James continues to write for all age groups, on all subjects, in a signature style that combines realism and topicality with humor and sensitivity.

Reviews

[Boxofdelights · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shoebag wakes up from a troubled dream to discover that he has lost his cerci, his two back legs, his two middle legs, his two front legs, and his antenna. He has turned into a horrible human being! His family hate and fear him. Fortunately, he gets adopted by kind human people. Unfortunately, he has to go to school, where there are bullies. Fortunately, he meets a mysterious character named Gregor Samsa, who seems to know something about metamorphosis...

[Trin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found out about this when I was looking into Kockroach, a recent reverse-Metamorphosis tale. This one's a kids' book from about 15 years ago with a similar premise: a cockroach wakes up one morning to find he's turned into a person. That's what I call awesome-strange; the actual book, however, is...bizarre-confusing-strange. There's all kinds of weird stuff about the family that adopts Shoebag-turned-Stuart: the daughter is a child actress who shills toilet paper, and frankly I don't know what to make of any of it; I have no idea what I would have made from it when I was in the appropriate age group. But, um. Maybe I had a more flexible mind then? *wanders away, disconcerted*

[Rhapsody · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the summer reading book for when I went into the fourth grade. All the kids were talking about how lousy it was when school started, but I really liked it. Of course, then one kid had personality enough to say he liked it and everyone immediately agreed. Elementary school is the worst!

Shoebag is a cockroach who was born in a shoebag, hence his name. He is magically transformed into a boy and adopted by the human family that finds him hiding in the closet. His foster-sister is a child about his same age and a model. He starts going to school and learning about humans. The book raises questions beauty and appearance and seeing past people's surfaces. Eventually, as I recall (and this was a LONG time ago), he has to decide between returning to his cockroach family or staying as a human boy.

It was a really fun, charming read. I love stories in which people/creatures are transformed and have to experience the world in a completely new way.

[Meg GlitteryOtters · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Riley Singleton · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is very confusing maybe you will.

[Harlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part is the first line, "like all cockroaches, Shoebag was named after his place of birth."

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book in 5th grade. I am adding it now because I wanted to designate it as THE. WORST. BOOK. EVER. For one thing, the plot is about a cockroach. Who turns into a boy. Seriously. Even though it's been a while, I remember that the plot had giant gaping holes, the morals were vague, and the characters either extremely odd or just plain sad. Also, I hate the title, but maybe that's just because I loathed the book. When I looked this up on Goodreads, I found that there is a sequel. Argh.

[Lynna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not perfect. I do not care. It's a book about a cockroach who turns into a boy and gets adopted by a family who's daughter acts in a toilet paper ad. I'm sorry, that's brilliance, and I'm extremely glad this book exists.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you audible stories for allowing us to stream this for free during the pandemic.
This is not a great book. I do not believe I would give it to my tween to read because they would be bored. It's a little too long for younger audience. But it sure felt like it would be more appealing to a younger audience. I would say the cutoff is about 10 years old on this book to where they could maybe still enjoy it. I actually was going to quit on the book and stop reading, but I stuck it out and turned it up to three times speed to get through it. probably gave it two stars because the end sort of had a moral

[AmyK]

I’m challenging myself to re-read books that left a lasting impression on me from childhood.
However…WTH is this book?! As an adult I’m amazed at how much went over my head.
How did Mr and Mrs Biddle find a random child in their closet and just think “okay we are keeping him” no questions asked?!
The ending about Shoebag being about change and overcoming it..like cool, yes, change is good but this book had some wild plot holes.
I won’t rate this as an adult but am I seriously judging my child self for loving it as much as I did.

[Kate Foran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoebag was my favorite book when I was in 3rd grade. 20 years later, I’m teaching 4th grade and I find 10 copies of Shoebag collecting dust in a closet.

Shoebag is even better now. Maybe because I’ve read Metamorphoses or because I’ve had actual experience with cockroaches...

This book is absurd and laugh out loud funny, but realistic. The roach family relationships are complex and believable (human?).

The I have a group of 4th graders reading this and they keep snorting with laughter at the ridiculousness. They’re also having some breakthroughs about characterization and character development.

[KT Boles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this twice when I was 11, as I recently found noted in my journal from childhood. And seeing as I must have enjoyed it then, I thought it would be a fun idea to read it along with my own 11 year old.

For me as an adult, I didn’t like much about it - it was boring and lacked any decent or interesting characters. For my son, he would rate it a 5 - he giggled and nodded and related to the elementary school madness.

It works fine for the right age group.

[Librarian Anna]

Filed under books I read when I was a kid (or was read to in class) and it scared me for life.

I have a fear of cockroaches and I would not be surprised if this book (and my formative years spent in infested houses) is was lead to that.

[Candi Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. 4.5
My 5 yr old struggled a little with the bully and we had to put it down for a LONG time when the bully starts to beat up Shoebag. She did end up giving it 3 stars though.

[Aditi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book messed me up as a child. I was thinking about it for weeks after I finished. I really need to reread it and see if I still respond to it the way my elementary school brain did.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel kinda dumb because this is a kid's story and I don't understand the moral of the story. Shrugs,I guess.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful story that has struck with me since I first read it as a child. Interesting perspective and a fun story!

[Dwight Croy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book for boys and girls who are interested in insects; very imaginative.

[AJ Pressley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite book as a child. I still read it some times to cheer me up.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shoebag follows the transformation of a young cockroach into a human boy, and the mis-adventures that ensue. Based heavily on the classic, Metamorphasis, by Franz Kafka, this novel seeks to apply a similar concept to a children's story. Children can relate to the boy's feelings of being out-of-place, picked on, and awkward- who hasn't gone through such a phase in adolescence? However, readers must quickly become comfortable with following a cockroach for a protagonist, and sympathizing with something we're more likely to step on in real life. While reading this did not create in me a soft-spot for insects, it did remind me of the importance of being true to oneself, looking at life from another angle, and walking a mile in someone else's shoes. We really do not know what people around us have been through, come from, or where they are going.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Say you’re a cockroach, and suddenly you day you find yourself turning into … a little boy! That’s the gist of this M.E. Kerr kickoff of
what looks to be a series, starring ‘Shoebag’, his cockroach name, or
Stuart Bagg, his human name.

And what does Showbag, turned Stuart Bagg, discover as a human?
Bullying, a school with the usual pecking order, a ‘sister’ who has been in a couple of TV ads and sees herself as some kind of star – but he also has friends, including Gregor Samsa, yup, the very same guy turned cockroach of Kafka’s memorable tale.

With all this going for her, M.E. Kerr has given us what seems to me to be a rough draft – her ending is too abrupt – she needs to have her Stuart Bagg think over his experiences as a human – and perhaps the dangers of being a cockroach.

[SJ L · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a charming book about change and a child's moral perspective on the world. I think the book fills a rather pressing need of books that build a child's ethical understanding of the world. It is quite strong in its critique of the cult of appearance, celebrity culture, and the desire to fit what other people think. It also builds up accepting change and being comfortable with who you are, although to a lesser poignancy than its critique of appearances. It was a rather simple book, nothing mind blowing, probably best for 2-3rd graders (or teachers, who have to read this sort of thing to stay with what's current).

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think my brother got this book from a book order (remember those?) when he was in middle school. Shoebag is the story of a cockroach who wakes up one day to find himself a human boy. Sound familiar? There's more -- he's befriended by the coolest guy in school, the mysterious Gregor Samsa.

That's right -- this book is an inversion of Kafka's The Metamorphosis for young adult readers. It's weird but has a lot of heart.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of a cochroach named shoebag who mysteriously becomes a little boy one day. Shoebabg must learn how to deal with the new changes. Great novel to demonstrate audience and the writer's role and purpose. The story of Shoebag and those he meets kind of ends a bit abruptly as if author ran out of paper to finish the story in detail.

[Angelica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoebag is one of the first books that I have read and as a child, it made me cry. It shows how important it is to allow kids to be kids and it also shows how important friendship is. It is perfect for kids who are just about to start school and also for those who somehow experienced bullying or suffering because of stereotypes.

[Elaine Hoffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on a shelf of free books at an elementary school. It is about a cockroach who turns into a boy. It is quite comical in that the names of the cockroach family members are the names of where they were born. Shoebag, drainboard, under the toaster, etc. It was fun to read about this little boy and his adventures after he went from a cockroach to a little boy.

[Chelsea Pelzer]

Shoebag is a very interesting book that right away gets the attention of the reader. This story is about the adventures of a cockroach who one day finds himself to be a human boy. He becomes friends with a girl named Pretty Soft and they both learn a lot from each other. I would use this book in my classroom for a literature circle book because it has many opportunities for discussion points.

[Audrey Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a weird and magical story. It's never going to happen so it is Fantasy. I mean, it is about a cockroach that turns into a boy. It is really weird and funny. Shoebag is one of the many stories my teacher read aloud to us. It is great!

[Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shoebag is a really good book about a cokroach that turn s into a human and stays with preaty soft and he wants to turn back to a chokroach because a cocroach told him how to but he's a human riht now then the "cat" tries to eat shoebag

[Mariam Al Maghrebi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember reading this book back in the sixth grade. It was never a favorite of mine; includes a very bizarre storyline and an even more bizarre plot. Can't quite put my finger on what I dislike the most, but it was never a regret.