Addie on the Inside

The Misfits #3

by James Howe

The Gang of Five is back in this much-anticipated follow-up to The Misfits and Totally Joe . Addie Carle, the only girl in the group of friends, is outspoken, opinionated, and sometimes…just a bit obnoxious. But as seventh grade progresses, Addie’s not so sure anymore about who she is. It seems her tough exterior is just a little too tough, and that doesn’t help her deal with the turmoil she feels on the inside as she faces the pains of growing up.

Told in accessible verse, Addie on the Inside gives readers a look at a strong, smart, and sensitive girl struggling with the box that society wants to put her in. Addie confronts experiences many readers will relate to: loss, heartbreak, teasing…but also, friendship, love, and a growing confidence in one’s self.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Poetry, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Novel In Verse, Fiction, Friendship

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2011

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just because you take a sentence
and chop it
like this
doesn't mean you're writing
poetry.

Or does it?

Because this is how Addie on the Inside
is written.
And it made me

cringe.

The book follows Addie,
a girl,
the girl
from The Misfits
and Totally Joe.

She is a spunky girl
outspoken
intellectual
compassionate
a character rendered with a
tough
strong
voice.

Why am I not digging this book?
I wonder -
Page one hundred
And still no dice.
Are there too many
problems?
Too many social
issues?

Yes, but also
No, I realize.
No.
No.
No.

It is because this doesn't feel like
poetry.
It feels
F O R C E D
and
contrived
and a little
P(atheti)C?
I sigh.

Another tangential poem.
Another heavy issue addressed in Addie's whirling
mind.
Now a jarring poem that rhymes.
Now a poem written as five paragraphs (poetry disguised as prose?).
Here's a haiku!
Here's a toss-off three line poem!
I sigh again.

Then I think of the girls I teach who are like
Addie.
They will love this.
They will enjoy her voice.
They will find comfort in
not being alone.

I just wish I had liked this
as much as
they will.

I'm sorry, Addie.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series of the Misfits James Howe has put together. This is a group of friends who are sort of the outcast in 7th grade. What I appreciate is that each story, so far, is told from a different character and told in a way unique to them. Bobby was told like a normal novel, Joe was told like a homework diary project and Addie is told in poetry.

What I love is that James Howe has done his research. He takes just about every kind of poetry you can find and he uses it to effect sharing Addie's different emotions. There is Haiku and 8 word, 4 lines poetry and verse and anything you can think up. He uses it in specific ways. I loved it.

I felt like the poetry heightened the emotional impact of the story. The story about Addie is a simple story of standing up in school and being who you want to be verses fitting in or trying to balance those things.

I love the character of Addie. She is a strong and confident person who stands up for her beliefs even when it isolates her. Her stance, helps those kids who are shy and uncertain of who they are. I was that kid growing up and it was the Addie's in school who gave me a safe wing to shelter under that helped me get through junior high. Junior high is simply the worst. It was brutal, talk about survival.

This book also showcases Addie's doubts and struggles. She isn't just a strong leader and warrior. She has problems and aches and pains. It's nice to see that she is human. Her Grandma visits her and it's hard on her when she goes as that is the person to really support her. She is dealing with an unstable relationship with 2 stubborn people in it. It's all junior high drama, but very well done, in my opinion.

One problem with standing up for other people, is that other kids can lump you in with that group. Addie stands up for her queer friends and students and so people put her in that group as well and she isn't.

I never had the guts Addie had and I admire someone who is willing to speak up and stand up for what they believe. I was too scared to speak up back then, to be a target and I had to be called on to speak in class and I rarely gave an opinion. I was the wallflower. I admire those that speak out and share even if they will be made fun off. I need a reminder of the people like Addie in the world as I realize that I am sort of back in those old patterns that didn't help me. I need to find my voice again and grow my inner Addie.

This book was just what I needed right now. It's excellent.

[Rochelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Misfits and Totally Joe (by James Howe) so long ago that I don't remember any details about them, but know they were good. This newest companion to The Misfits is, however, very memorable. Somehow, he really gets the 13-year-old girl just right. Partially it's because it's written in verse, and you're really hearing Addie's voice -- not the one she uses outwardly but, as the title states, her internal voice. It is so nice to have a strong, smart adolescent girl character that also is dealing with the typical mean-girl crowd, has a boyfriend and a fiercely devoted group of friends, not just a really supportive family. It is so current that there is mention of Phoebe Prince, the teen from South Hadley who committed suicide because she had been bullied so much, and made national news, but is right down the road from us. I will be putting this in the hands of all the middle schoolers I can, especially since one of the 7th grade teachers reads The Misfits in class at the beginning of the year.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sigh. This novel was so heavy-handed and the main character, Addie, so self-righteous that I could barely get through it. I disagree with reviewers who felt that Howe perfectly captured a 7th grade girl and all her insecurities. I think Howe was screaming through this character and didn't leave her any room to be 13. On top of that, I thought the whole writing in verse thing did NOT work and left me a little fatigued.

Yes, Howe is trying to address some serious and worthy topics (gay bashing, bullies, finding your own way in middle school) but I lost the message in the book because it came across as preachy and tiresome, not at all appealing to the very children it is attempting to reach.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addie On The Inside is the kind of book that I want all girls in middle school to read. So many great topics are broached, yet the fact that the entire story is written in the form of poems makes it an easy and non-threatening read. Addie is a wonderfully strong female character, but also a believable one. I think that most girls out there will see some of themselves in her.

This book would be perfect for a middle school library or as a gift for a tween girl.

[Iben Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was both the best and the worst thing for me to read at the moment.
I feel so much for Addie. Oh, my friend, will it get better? yes, and no.
But it will keep going, and you will find your way, even if you did not know, that it was the way to go.

[Richie Partington · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 September 2011 Richie's Picks: ADDIE ON THE INSIDE by James Howe, Atheneum, July 2011, 224p., ISBN: 978-1-4169-1384-9

Devalued

"'In what ways do we devalue the English language?'
Mr. Daly asks a class of vacant faces and hidden,
texting hands. I shoot my hand into the air. Mr. D
smiles at me as he moves his eyes across the sullen
seventh-grade landscape. 'Does anyone other than
Addie have a thought on this? Does anyone know
what I mean by "devalue"?' Now my hand takes on
a life of it's own, wagging like an eager puppy. Me,
me, me, it whimpers as I try to ignore the snickering
around me.

"'Yes, Addie?'

"Snicker turn to sighs and groans and cries of Here
she goes. "It's when we use empty euphemisms,' I begin
(Jimmy Lemon mumbling, 'What's a youthanism?'),
'or overuse a word or phrase until it's meaningless.'

"'An example?'

"'"Oh my god,"" I promptly reply, to which Becca replies
under her breath, 'Omigod.' 'Shouldn't that phrase
be saved for religious expression or an occasion
of great emotion? I contend' -- here Bobby, my
friend, drops his forehead into his waiting palm --
'that overuse of a word such as "like" or a phrase
such as the one I've just cited, devalues it. Another
example is -- '

"'Thank you, Addie. Let's
give someone else a chance, shall we?' Mr. D winks
at me as if we're in this together, and I sit down.
(Funny, I don't remember standing up.)

"Other hands are in the air now as Becca's hand
reaches across the aisle and slides a note under my
binder. I don't look at it until after class. 'You
need a makeover in more ways than one,' it says.

"Now she brushes past, her elbow bumping my shoulder.
'Omigod,' she says, 'so, like, sorry.' Other girls
giggle, and Jimmy Lemon coughs an insult into his
hand. 'You're not funny,' I tell them, tearing Becca's
note neatly down the middle. Bobby waits for me
as I gather up my books. He gives me a sympathetic
look, one that says he understands what it feels like
to be devalued."

Ten years. A decade. For today's middle school students, that's virtually a lifetime.

A decade ago this week, the world changed forever for all of us in our magnificent diversity who make up these United States of America.

As we were being raised up in the sixties and the seventies and beyond, we were all being indoctrinated with the notion that we Americans were the biggest, most powerful, and most untouchable nation in the history of humankind. And anyone from my neck of the woods knew that there was nowhere more truly American than the glorious chaos of New York City.

"And she's every girl you've seen in every movie
Every dame you've ever known on late night TV
In her steam and steel is the passion you feel
Endlessly
New York is a woman she'll make you cry
And to her you're just another guy."
Suzanne Vega, "New York is a Woman"

Whatever residual bits of that ancient indoctrination might still have then been lingering inside of me, they crumbled ten years ago this week just like the tangled masses of steel and glass that we watched fall to earth over and over and over again.

Please forgive me if you've heard my 9/11 story before. For the sake of those middle school students who have no recollection of 9/11, I'm going to tell it again:

Sitting at home in stunned silence on 9/11 and the days thereafter, I first sought out a community of friends in the hope of finding a measure of solace and meaning in the horrible tragedy. In those days, I belonged to a listserv composed of friends and fans of the folksinger Suzanne Vega. As the martial drumbeats sounded louder and louder, calling for retribution and revenge, I posted the lyrics to John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance," and The Youngblood's "Get Together," and Peter's Alsop's "The Kids' Peace Song" and urged love and peace as I had been taught by those who wrote the soundtrack of my childhood.

In return, even amongst the followers of this hip and articulate New York folksinger, I was made to feel as if I were a traitor -- un-American -- for not supporting the taking of a life in exchange for each and every innocent American life lost in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and on that field in Pennsylvania.

And, in those days of national tragedy, it hit me: Through all the years and decades since the Summer of Love and middle school, I'd always harbored and embraced the apparently child-like belief that one day there would really be world peace. And that is what I personally lost on 9/11: the faith that I would see world peace in my lifetime.

It was a terribly difficult loss. I knew I needed to do something, if only in my own little world, to ease that pain.
I realized that -- as an adult and as a student of history and politics -- I knew a lot about the long and complicated background leading up to 9/11 that I couldn't begin to effectively explain to young people. I recognized that I would need to go to where young people were in their heads and their development and talk to them about creating world peace in a manner that they could readily understand and internalize. I knew that instead of talking geopolitics and multinational exploitation, I needed to preach kindness toward one another in their own school communities and their neighborhoods with the hope that such efforts would cause ripples to move outward and have a positive effect on others.

And, having just written about it the previous month, I knew the perfect book to use in promoting kindness toward one another.

When I first read THE MISFITS by James Howe, about a quirky quartet of middle school friends who, in the midst of surviving the angst and assignments and hormones of middle school, become inspired to promote change for the better, thanks in large part to the tall, opinionated girl named Addie (who constitutes the female portion of the quartet), I was transported back to one of the most difficult times of my life. Memories of middle school -- being shoved around and called names and being devalued -- resurfaced.

The week after 9/11, I began reading THE MISFITS aloud to local middle school English classes, and I later adapted the story for the middle school stage, and (inspired by what happens in the book) helped initiate a local No Name-Calling Week that, subsequently and for many years now, has become an annual, nationally-observed participatory event in many schools.

Now, ten years after THE MISFITS, and years after the groundbreaking second book, TOTALLY JOE, was released, the third book about these four middle school students from Paintbrush Falls, New York, who call themselves the Gang of Five (leaving room for another in-need misfit), has now been published.

Where THE MISFITS was told from the point of view of Bobby Goodspeed, and TOTALLY JOE was from Joe Bunch's perspective, ADDIE ON THE INSIDE is Addie Carle's story, and it is told in prose poetry. Like the previous two books, it has real substance along with a sweet innocence (just like I like to think I had in middle school).

I readily relate to Addie Carle because I, too, always loved school. And, because of what I learned in school (and in the newspaper and by listening to topical song lyrics) I'd similarly feel compelled to express my opinions when things seemed horribly wrong. And I worried a lot about what was wrong with me that I was picked on so consistently at that age.

I've now spent a fifty-six year lifetime observing and reacting to the devaluation of black people and the devaluation of women and the devaluation of gays and the devaluation of children and thedevaluation of Muslims and thedevaluation of the Ninth Ward and thedevaluation of today's immigrants and the devaluation of pretty much anybody else who can be singled out for scorn just as if the wholeworld is one big middle school.

And I think that it would be really nice if it all stopped.

So while I don't often write about the third book in a series, it is so worth knowing this girl and her friends that, for ADDIE ON THE INSIDE, I am making an important exception.

Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com¬¬¬
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
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[Mike Oaks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Snap your fingers

After finishing book 3 in the series I feel like I was at a poetry slam. Addie’s voice was heard through different styles of poetry. It’s not my thing, but it may be yours. 3.0 for haikus and cats.

[Abbyb]

Addie on the Inside by James Howe is an amazing realistic fiction book about a young girl named Addie.She is tall and very smart girl who dose not have a very big selection of friends .She has three friends there names are Skeezie, Joe and Bobby.She is trying to basically fit in but all she dose is stand out.This book took place at her school where the problems she could not excape where

[Cheriee Weichel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Misfits and Totally Joe are both great novels, but in Addie on the Inside, James Howe has surpassed himself! These books are not sequels but rather companion books that enable us to know more about the characters and the events that shaped them.

The Misfits is the story of four middle school kids who call themselves the gang of five. Bobby is chubby. Addie is tall and very smart. Joe is gay. Skeezie is a born again Elvis. None of them really fit in with the regular school population and have to deal with teasing and harassment because of who they are. They create their own political organization, the No Name Party, for the grade 7 elections. Its purpose it to put an end to name-calling.
Misfits is narrated through the eyes of Bobby. It is hilarious, honest and painful. While the political machinations play a significant part of the story, it is also the story of a boy trying to make sense of what is going on around him. We learn that Bobby is close to his father and that his mom died when he was eight. Her death has left its own kinds of scars on both of them. He enters into his first romantic relationship. Eventually Bobby surprises himself with his own passion and confidence.

Totally Joe, written as an ‘alphabiography,’ is Joe’s interpretation of the events of the year. At times Joe struggles with being a boy, but not a boy, boy like his brother, Jeff. However, most of the time he is a positive character full of energy and optimism. We get to know Joe as he embraces the joy and heartache of his first romance. There are some who think Joe’s story of coming out and acceptance by his friends and family is idealistic. I think it is about possibility and what should be.

And now the long awaited story of Addie has arrived! About all I can really think to say is WOW! Misfits was written in a more or less classic novel style, then Joe’s story was in a journal format, and Addie’s perspective is revealed through poetry.
In Addie on the Inside, James Howe has done a wonderful job illuminating the girl behind the girl we read about in the first two books. Addie is strong, outspoken, and confident on the outside, but behind the scenes is a girl struggling with some of the usual teenage angst - body image, style, and her first romance. Yet there is much more to Addie than that. She worries about the state of the world: global warming, homelessness, poverty, war, and “how in the world the world will ever be okay.” Not only does Addie worry, she has the courage to do something to change the way things are. While the other books focus more on the male protagonists, in this one, the actuality of how girls bully and harass one another is exposed. In spite of everything she has to deal with, Addie remains smart, sensitive, and secure in who she is.

I Am Who I Say I Am

“I am a girl who is growing up
in my own sweet time,
I am a girl who know enough
to know this life is mine.
…
I’m a worrier, I’m a warrior,
I’m a loner and a friend,
I’m an outspoken defender
of justice to the end

I’m the girl in the mirror
who likes the girl she sees,…” page 201


Now I guess we just have to wait for Skeezie’s take on things.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addie on the Inside is James Howe's third book about the Gang of Five, a group of middle school misfits first introduced in The Misfits and whose story continues in Totally Joe. After two books watching Addie serve as the principled backbone of the group, we finally get to see inside her mind and find out what's going on behind her seemingly tough outer shell. Told entirely in free verse, this book sees Addie dealing with her first boyfriend, lamenting her lack of physical development, and still trying desperately to free the school halls of bullies. Whereas The Misfits and Totally Joe focused on various aspects of the male middle school experience, this book tells the female side of things and shows what life can be like for girls who don't fit the mold.

While this book didn't have a very clear plot, there was still a lot to like about it. I think telling Addie's story in poetry was a wonderful idea, since it gave us a chance to see a less structured and more whimsical side of her personality. It also created a clear distinction between her outer life and her innermost thoughts, which is the book's main focus. As in the previous two books, sometimes not every aspect of Addie's life felt totally realistic. I think Howe has had a tendency to idealize certain things too much, and that notion is still present in this book. But Addie's journey toward understanding that she can chart her own course and decide for herself what kind of life she will lead is the true value of this book, and even if it might not be that easy for everyone, it does provide a hopeful window into the future for girls who are on the path to making that same discovery.

Overall, what this entire series has done is give voice to those kids on the margins, who might feel powerless in the face of a world that doesn't offer them a warm welcome. Howe's books show the world's misfits how to make a place for themselves, and how to defend their right to exist without having to conform to others' points of view or abandon those qualities that make them unique. Possible or not, realistic or not, each of the Misfits books is important because they each provide an opportunity to discuss what has been happening in middle schools for years and years, and give kids who are bullied and teased for being different a chance to see their points of view represented and even celebrated.

All three are worthwhile reads, and absolutely must be shared with bullies, their victims, and every middle school student in between.

[L_manning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Told through poetry, Addie on the Inside is all about Addie Carle, a young woman on a mission to make the world a better place. She's having to deal with a lot of stuff- lack of development physically, overabundant development mentally, first boyfriend, fitting in socially, and so many other things. By the end of the book, some things have drastically changed for Addie. However, nothing will ever change her sense of justice and desire to do some good for the world.


I love that authors are experimenting for young adults and writing in verse. It's a great way to show that self expression can be done in many different ways. That being said, I'm not sure this book was entirely successful. It was a bit difficult to get into the story. Of course, I have not read any of the other books with these characters that preceeded this one, so that may have been part of the problem. Sometimes I felt like Addie didn't read like a girl to me, and to be honest there were times I didnt' really like her at all. I understand her need to champion the causes she believed it, but at times she came across as rather pretentious.


Addie did seem to soften up some as the book went on, so I began to like her much better towards the end. I guess there were just too many hard edges on her at the beginning of the book. I think is a good book for teens who are activists looking for a kindred spirit. They will certainly find much to admire and possibly emulate. I appreciate the author's experimentation using verse to help get to know Addie better, and as things changed for Addie she because a character I had much more sympathy for her. There are probably a lot of people who will feel really moved by Addie's story, I just wasn't one of them.


Galley provided by publisher for review.

[Zion Tett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Addie on the Inside is a very poetic book book that takes a look at a middle school life of a girl and what she has to deal with. I think that middle school kids would love to read this book if there in to poetry or is just looking for a aromatic, deep, comedy book with a lot to tell. Every day when Addie walks in to school she is being judged by many people. Her friends have the same problem as well. People hate on her because she is smart and she had been dating a popular guy in school. One of the main Ideas in this book is that middle school life can be hard.
The author did meet his purpose because this book really entertained me in many ways, Also he persuaded me to read this book by the first page with his great rhymes and the story he told. The authors writing is effective and funny because he put meaning full words with in the book that got me in to it and it was funny because it has some very great jokes and comedy with in it. One of the Strengths in the book is that it told a very good story with detail. One of the Weaknesses is that some of the poems ended with out me understanding it. Over all it left the same impression on me like the list did it got me hooked and told me some drama except in middle school. I recommend this book to people that like middle school drama and poetic books.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the message about staying true to yourself which this companion book to The Misfits promotes, but I did find the story itself a little disappointing. It's a quick read (told in free verse) about a very smart, rather brash, nonconformist 7th grade girl who speaks her mind, but is ostracized for doing so. I thought it lacked some depth and I agree with another Goodreads reviewer who commented that James Howe tried to fit too many issues into one short book (bullying, homophobia, suicide, interracial relationships, popular girls, friendship issues, etc.). However, I did like the fact that this book (like Totally Joe) addresses gender issues and alternative lifestyles in a very matter-of-fact, readable way for middle school students. At one point in the story, Addie (normally very verbal) chooses to participate in the GLSEN Day of Silence -- I very much liked the awareness she gained about all the quiet, withdrawn students she never noticed before. A good choice for middle school girls who feel they don't fit into the "popular" culture for one reason or another.

[Dr. T Loves Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Addie on the Inside brought me back many years to my preteen years when I first started reading some Judy Blume to try to figure out what was going on in the minds of girls. Except that Addie is, from the beginning, a much more confident and capable protagonist than the young women I remember from Blume's books.

James Howe seems to have handled the trials and travails of being a middle school girl as handily as he did the difficulties of being a middle school boy in The Misfits, which I also enjoyed. The mixture of the types of verse Addie employs throughout this journal-like book are quite enjoyable, and are well constructed. There's a nice variety of depth to the ideas expressed here, too.

I would be very willing to put this book forth as a school-wide read, though I'm sure there are some boys who would not be able to handle the (extremely minor) elements of the story that deal with Addie's changing body--despite the fact that it would probably behoove them to give some consideration to their distaff classmates during what can be an awkward time.

Overall, I really appreciated how Addie handles herself with a maturity and aplomb that I wish was more common among both real and fictional middle school students.

[Arthur Pengerbil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Level: Grades 6-8

This companion book to The Misfits and Totally Joe is a worthy addition to the story of the Gang of Five. Addie Carle is now thirteen and facing the "purgatory of the middle school years." Written entirely in verse, these poems show a softer, more vulnerable side of strong, brave Addie. While Addie isn't reluctant to voice her opinions about everything from gay rights to women's role in history, she also feels the appeal of popularity. She loves having a boyfriend, but finds he doesn't love some of the things she says or the way she says them. A former girlfriend moves back to town and joins her tormentors. While Addie understands that there are those who love her and value her for herself, the turmoil and the gossip are hard to take.



Readers will like Addie and the conclusion she reaches. The first poem is by the author directed to the reader. He asks, "open your eyes, your mind, your heart." Anyone who reads this book will.


For more book reviews from the HPPL Youth Department, click here.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Misfits, to which this book is a companion, is one of my favorite books--the kind of book I desperately wish had existed when I was twelve, because I would have related to all of the main characters for different reasons. Addie on the Inside, while not evoking the same kind of enthusiasm when I read it, would probably have appealed to the twelve year old me just as much, but in a slightly different way. The whole book is poetry--it tells the story of Addie, the lone female character, as a series of poems that she writes after the events of The Misfits has died down. It's quite heady and very serious in only the way nerdy, opinionated, angsty twelve year old girls can be. The voice is perfect, and Howe manages to cover quite a lot of hot middle school topics without beating them to death.

Overall, sweet and serious and worth a read. In order to appreciate it fully, you would probably have to read The Misfits first, though. It could stand on its own, but just barely.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my library assistant (and book guru) gives me a book and tells me to read it, I listen! Addie on the Inside is a companion novel to The Misfits and is a novel-in-verse from Addie's perspective. Addie is one of the characters from The Misfits which featured a group of four kids who banded together to stop bullying in their school. Addie is smart, strong, and outspoken - and this is precisely why a novel-in-verse is the right format for her story. We are able to see the inside of Addie and her insecurities and inner turmoil, but more importantly her heart. I love how this book addresses some of the things middle school students face - including the "you're so gay" comments made in the hallways and the importance of speaking up.

I would recommend reading Misfits first for a better understanding of Addie and the other characters, but you can read this as a stand alone novel just fine. Recommended for 5th-8th grade students.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review: I originally picked up the box set of this series so I could read Totally Joe for the Banned Book week last year, and have slowly been reading all 4 books. I kind of wish this one had been out when I was in school, I definitely could have related to Addie a lot. That is the wonderful thing about this book, and the series as a whole, even though I was in middle school in the 90s and this book came out in 2011, and I think kids can still relate to the issues that Addie faces. I also love how it is written in verse, the style varies from page to page but each of the verses has a story to tell, lots of emotion, is easy to read and of course is relatable. This is definitely a book and a series that I would recommend again and again to readers of all ages from pre-teen throughout adulthood.

[Ms. Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book! It is really close to what 7th grade is like (at least, the way I remember it). Addie is a wonderful character - strong, stands up for her beliefs even if it makes her unpopular, and a little sad about growing up. Even though she considers herself unpopular, she's dating one of the more popular guys in school, at least for a little while. Themes in the book are heartbreak, friendship, teasing, and learning how to be yourself even when it's not popular. Her three best friends are guys. Her grandmother comes to visit for most of the story, and she has words of wisdom for Addie (she was one of my favorite characters). My 8th grade daughter read this book too, and declared it one of the best books she's ever read. It's a companion book to The Misfits.

[♔ VEE ♔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Addie on the Inside! There I said it in the midst of negative reviews, crucify me. I had to read this book for my YA Lit class and received it on interlibrary loan at the very last second but read it over my lunch break. Its around 200 pages and written in verse so a VERY quick read. I just thought it was so well written and I loved Addie's thought process. I generally don't like verse but it fit this book's theme so well that I didn't have any trouble reading it at all. The LBGT povs were what really roped me in I loved James Howe's take on that from a middle schoolers perspective.

[Kris Springer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun and meaningful--I wish I'd had this book when I was 12 or 13--would've helped me a lot, to laugh at myself, to understand others, to know that other girls felt like me and that things would work out. Don't we always feel like middle school students, afraid that the mean girls will find us?

Howe does a terrific job creating Addie and her world; he understands what teens care about and how their lives work. He makes meaningful statements about bullying, facebook, women's treatment in other cultures, gays & lesbians, and keeps the book fun and worth reading. Thumbs up!

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top picks for the year. I am NOT a fan of the verse novel...but two of my top picks this year were just that. This is probably a close second to "Inside Out and Back Again." The poems here were all fantastic. The voice never faltered. I literally laughed out loud and cried a couple times. If you are an adult and you have forgotten what it is like to be a headstrong, smart adolescent (if you ever were one) read this book and you will get an exacting portrait of Addie.

Easily one of the best books of the year.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was like reading a 12 year old's diary... in poetry form... complete with a poem about being excited about needing a new bra.

It's not that I couldn't agree with the sentiment behind the novel/character (Captain Planet had a profound effect on my life), but the character was so far-fetched for me. It would have been easier to take if done in a "wouldn't it be nice" kind of way like Boy Meets Boy rather than stuff an agenda down your throat kind of way.

[Jennifer Mangler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this book had been around when I was growing up, because teen me would have loved to have Addie as a friend and companion. It would have helped a lot. Reading Addie on the Inside brought up a lot of middle school memories for me.

[Robin Pelletier · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite book of the month. Read this one with my tutoring nugget and I absolutely loved it. It’s written in prose and perfectly captures the angst of middle school.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read The Misfits and soon learned that the author had written more about these characters for a series. As it turns out, this book was already in my classroom library although I'd never read it. Then I started looking for other books in the series and learned that James Howe had also written one of my childhood favorites, Bunnicula. He's been enchanting me since I was 11!

I think the students will like all the white space. Frankly, this book is convinces me that narrative poetry is an excellent device for characterization. My heart broke with Addie's.

I'm going to have to buy the other two books in the series but I'm convinced they're a worthy addition to my classroom library.

[Joy Kirr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addie is sure of who she is... isn't she? Seventh grade brings a boyfriend that just may make her popular, an enemy that used to be her best friend, and a solid group of friends (who are all boys). She's very passionate about her causes - she worries / cares for everyone. She's more passionate about sharing her opinions than many of her peers. Will this be a detriment to her fitting in during seventh grade? Why can't she just be herself?

I'm excited to suggest this book to brave young girls.

[Devon Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fresh perspective on Addie, because all of her friends describe her as an outspoken, proud, strong minded person, when in this book she seems a little more human because you know that she has lots of emotions and they are all bottled up inside her.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and honest companion to Howe's The Misfits. The poetry format reveals Addie's personality and inner thoughts in small, intense images.