Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case

by Dan Elish

Due to his height and appearance, eighth-grader Matt Greene doesn't have much luck in sports or dating, thus his jealousy toward his good looking, tall, and successful friend Keith takes over his life and makes him perform a spell so that things change dramatically for the both of them. Reprint.

Genres: Young Adult

156 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2002

About the author

Dan Elish is the author of eleven novels, including the upcoming KING OF BROADWAY (Olympia Press, 2025). Dan's other books include THE WORLDWIDE DESSERT CONTEST (Orchard Books and Bantam), THE SCHOOL FOR THE INSANELY GIFTED (Harpers), NINE WIVES (for grown-up types/St. Martins), and BORN TOO SHORT (S&S) which won a 2004 International Reading Association Students’ Choice Award for young adult literature.

Dan also writes musicals - many for children (music and lyrics) - but also the script (with Robert Horn) to the musical 13 which played at the Mark Taper Forum and won the 2007 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for best production; the show moved to Broadway in 2008 and is now a feature on Netflix, named one of the best ten films of 2022 by Variety. Dan is also the book writer and co-lyricist of THE EVOLUTION OF MANN which played at the Cell Theater in NYC in 2018.

Dan has also written scripts for TV (notably CYBERCHASE and THE WONDER PETS), and has won scholarships and fellowships to The Bread Loaf and Sewanee Writers’ Conferences. He was a member of the BMI workshop and a current member of the Dramatists Guild.

Dan lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Neel Panchal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book
It kind of relates with the situations that i face in my life too.
I really like the way that the main character, Matt is very truth ful in the book. The book is told in the first person view and so you can hear the author and of course the main character thinking.

Here are all the ways that i can relate to this book...

We both live in New York City
We both are short
We both have a friend that is a lot taller and cooler than us
and we both never made out

So this book relates to me
But that is not the only reason that i loved this book.
I liked the way that the story went on in a good plot and a very nice ending which will make you cry and think about your best friend.

[Duane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons. To begin with, I feel the honesty in this book from the main character, Matt. Matt is best friends with the school jock and practically perfect guy and it's starting to really get on his nerves. When Matt wishes his best friend some bad luck, he finds that maybe he regrets doing it. Does having his own love life really make his best friend's bad luck seem so important? A nice, refreshing book about the real struggles that a middle school boy goes through.

[Evan K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Born Too Short” by Dan Elish tells the story of Matt Greene, a nerdy eighth grader who’s best friend, Keith is one of the most popular kids in school.To start off I would like to say that i strongly suggest noone to read this, it is very unrealistic and sometimes hard to follow what is happening. The book starts by saying “Ever seen a picture of your best friend’s teeth on the side of a bus?”(pg 1)which is trying to say how good Keith looks and putting you in his shoes.I don't think a random kid at a school would have his teeth on a bus so it is an unrealistic part in the book. Keith get’s a lot more girls Matt who has only kissed one girl which he describes in the middle of the book as being unpleasant and has unatractive buck teeth.Throughout the book Matt begins to get jealous of Keith. This is somewhat realistic since you can be annoyed when friends try to show off but I would't wish anything bad to happen to them like Matt does. When Matt thinks “Yeah, I felt this brief irritation jolt-but I did my best to put it out of my mind” (pg 61) he is restraining himself from saying anything to Keith about how he is getting irritated with him. Later in the book when Matt makes a wish and meets a girl named Josie, things begin to change for the two friends. Personally, I think the plot is over a little over dramatized about the life of an eighth grader by him talking about drinking a lot and how cool Keith is. I also think that if Keith was that popular he would not be hanging out with Matt who is a unsocial and doesn't talk to girls often. Overall I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars but I would not recommend it to a friend.

[Jhonjordaniii · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book born to short a the narator tells about his life he pays the guitar and hangs out with his tall blonde star athliet that gets alot of girls but still is lonly ignored and taken for granted. I learned from this book that its always good to stand up for yorself. [book was 156 pages:]

[Charity Parrinello]

Born Too Short is about a nerdy eighth grader; Matt Greene, who’s best friend, Keith is one of the most popular kids in school.. Matt and Keith attend Hannaford School in New York City.They are like two peas in a pod. Matt is jealous of him and their friendship is seeming to fade, due to Keith becoming very cocky, and because girls go to Keith like bees to honey. Keith creates a musical which is a huge hit, and now Matt has reached his peak of fury. One day, Matt is blowing off some steam on the corner Eighty-first Street and Columbus, and pretty much wishes that Keith’s life gets ruined As Keith’s life is slowly falling apart, Matt can not help feeling that it was happening because of him. Matt would have to be my favorite character, because he is short like me and I can relate to his problem somewhat.
I can relate to Matt’s life a lot. In school I get treated the same way Matt does, with disrespect. Also, I have had the same thing that happened between Matt and Keith happen to my friend Hallie Pearson and I. She became popular and treated me like I was basically garbage. The author shows the conflict between the two friends, how he based that out made the book interesting to keep reading.
I would recommend the book Born Too Short By: Dan Elish because it is easy to read. Also it was a very funny book with lots of unexpected events, which make the story even better. Any kid who is in middle school would thoroughly enjoy it. Plus you should read it because what happened between the two friends could or had happened to to you in real life. I would recommend this book to middle school and high school students.

[Kyle Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I thought that this book was a good read for someone like me who can relate very well to it. Matt Greene, the main character, is going through middle school with a solid height of 5'1. Matt struggles to get any girls whatsoever due to him being vertically challenged while his best friend, Keith, gets almost any girl and is a model. Matt grows extreme jealousy over Keith's perfection and wants to be like him. I liked the book, because I can completely relate to Matt as I was 5'2 going into high school. This book may have been a slight inspiration for someone like me if they were to read it in the 8th grade to freshman years. One thing that I disliked about the book is how it ended on a huge cliffhanger. The book finally gets very interesting at the very end but then the book ends right when it starts getting really good.

[Angela Maldonado]

This book was very interesting because the problem it shows happens to many of us. The situation is having a pretty good looking friends that gets everything, a friend that is good at everything and etc. And on the other side the other friends that isn't good looking, isn't good at most things and etc. Maybe you could relate to one of them or neither, but if you are the "less" of both you could relate to the examples this book gives. So I did like this book because it shows a situation that maybe someone is going though and it could maybe that person feel related and maybe try to change their mindset for a better one.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born Too Short is written by Dan Elish. It is a real good book about two best friends.It shows that even when your fighting you are still best friends with each other.In the book Matt is Julius of his friend because he get everything he wants. At the climax of the book they stop talking to each other and then they relishes that they have a friendship that will last.

[Evan Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was 13 and 5'2 when I read this so it kind of made me feel good to not be alone in my angsty teenage phase where the tall guys were winning and I didn't even have enough confidence to take a shot. The main character was whiny and entitled and i never tried to whine about being short and nobody really noticed it but me because people really only notice taller guys etc. And if they do notice shorter guys its because he has a ton of flair and personality. I really liked this book because I haven't read many books about this ever out of all the books I have read.

[Rick Thirde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Captures the angst and thoughts of a tween boy very well. But full of cussing, blasphemy, and sexual slang and actions.

[Charlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Born Too Short”, by Dan Elish is a hilarious story of an eighth-grade boy named Matt Greene. Matt Greene is a 5’1’’ kid, who is best friends with Keith Livingston. Matt and Keith attend Hannaford School in New York City. Keith is the most popular kid in the grade, he is at least 5’6’’, and a girl magnet. Matt is jealous of him in every way, especially because girls go to Keith like bees to honey, and Matt has not even made out yet. One day, Matt is blowing off some steam on the corner Eighty-first Street and Columbus, and pretty much wishes that Keith’s life gets ruined; he is surprised with the results. As Keith’s life is slowly falling apart, Matt can not help feeling that it was happening because of him. Personally, the thing I like most about this book is that the main character is short, like me. There was not a single part of this book that I did not like, or would have changed. I would recommend this book to people 12 and up. I say this, because there is some foul language, same gender relationships, and Keith gets to third base(if you do not know what that means, really do not read this book). You might think this is a serious novel, but in fact it is a laugh-out-loud book. All in all, this book is definitely worth reading.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Copied from my Middle Grade Mafioso blog:

What caught my eye first: The title. And man, who wasn't a basket case in 8th grade?!

Wonderful thing about this book: Elish does a great job with teen-speak. Also, I totally believed the feelings of jealousy Matt had for his best friend, Keith. After all, Matt wants to have all the girls adoring him. But with Keith around, it's not going to happen.

Caveat: I prefer my middle grade on the "upper/tween" side, and this one certainly fits the bill. Personally, I'm not a prude, and I know that teens are getting up to some devious stuff, but it might concern some readers that Matt drinks a couple of beers at a party (without too much of a consequence, I might add--the kid doesn't even seem to have much of a hangover), and that there are a couple of references to things like "whacking off" and other sexual stuff. I'd say this would be a good one for 7th-8th graders, and it wouldn't be a bad thing to read it with your child and use it to discuss views on teen drinking and sex.

If you want to learn more about Dan Elish, check out his website. He sounds like a multi-talented sort of fellow.

[Stelio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stelio Vatousios
November 6, 2011
Block C

I would not recommend the book “Born Too Short” By Dan Elish. The reason I would not recommend this book is because in my opinion it was a boring book and it was very inappropriate to Girls. In a couple of parts in the book it talked about the female body parts in an inappropriate way and it said very dirty words. Too me this is not needed to be heard by kids, if my kid was reading this one day and said one of the words it uses in this book to me, I would be appalled. This is not the only reason why I would not recommend this book, also because it was a very slow moving and all around boring book. In my opinion it had a couple parts in the story that didn’t need to be put in that were just plain boarding, like on page 95. There was no need to put in Keith losing the basketball tournament for the school. They put too much exaggeration on the fact that Keith was getting unlucky, they should have just said that his girlfriend broke up with him and that was it. All around I really did not enjoy this book and I wish that the author could have done a better job in writing it.

[Brady Douglas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born Too Short is a fictional story written by Dan Elish. In a gist, it is a boy named Matt Greene who is best friends with the stud of their school, Keith Livingston. They are like two peas in a pod, but their friendship is seeming to fade, due to Keith becoming very cocky. Keith creates a musical which is a huge hit, and now Matt has reached his peak of fury. One thing I found very interesting about Matt and Keith’s relationship is how close they were, and how fast they started to fade away. When the writer says “ I mean, we were six when we met. Six! We had sleepovers, play dates, park dates- you name it. We dropped water balloons off my apartment terrace( Sixteen stories high!!! Yes!!)” (5), it shows really how close the boys were. Now deep down they both are realizing that everything is changing, and Matt is furious with the way Keith has been treating him, which is very unlike two best friends to act so dramatically. Born Too Short was a very funny book with lots of unexpected events, which make the story even better. Any kid who is in middle school would thoroughly enjoy it.

[Moses · Rating 1 out of 5]

If Burger Wuss is the book your mother would force upon you, this is the book your grandmother would get you for your birthday. Whoever said "Don't judge a book by its cover" knew what he was talking about. I bet he said that after reading this book.

The entire time, the main character sounds bitchy, instead of snappy and witty, like he should be. (You know the character isn't very sharp when he says "I mean, really, like..." every two sentences. Make up your mind! This also implies the idiot who's writing the story is really straining to fill those pages.) The story is ridiculously unbelievable it's laughable. Who the hell writes their magnum opus in eighth grade (directed at the basket-case's best friend)? This is just too stupid to take seriously. I quit out after about 70 pages. If you really want to know why I hate the book so much, read it. You'll see what I mean.

P.S. Another question to think about: If the main character is such a whiny, demanding asshole, why does his best friend even bother to hang with him in the first place?

[Doofenshmirtz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is acceptable only in the context that it's about a thirteen-year-old kid. If he had been a few years older I would probably feel a lot more disgusted by it.

Basically, the main character is a boy who feels insecure (mostly because he's shorter than his peers) and who tries to make up for his perceived flaws by feeling superior to his own best friend. He's also disrespectful towards girls and clearly puts his own needs over theirs. At one point he thinks it's okay that a particular girl "has no tits" as long she likes him. And although sex isn't explicitly mentioned, he does have a thing for strip monopoly. Yet through all of this we're given the impression that he's someone we should sympathize with.

I didn't really read the second half of the book, but I do hope the lesson he learns isn't so much "be yourself" as it is "quit being a jackass." At this rate he's just going to be one of those self-proclaimed nice guys. You know, those folks who feel so victimized by people who can see through their "nice guy" facade.

[brianp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brian Pierce
11-25-12 E
I would recommend the book Born Too Short By: Dan Elish because it is easy to read.
One reason why you should read it is that it could happen to you in real life. In the book matt [main character] gets jealous at his best friend Keith [other main character] and starts to hate him. “If for just once Keith would suck at every sport” pg 58. So it may be easy for you to connect to it easier and will understand more.

Another reason for you to like it is that the words are understandable for you to read it and there is basically 2 or 3 concepts in the book like he hates how Keith’s good at sports or how he makes a play that not that good but his dad going to produce it on Broadway with good actors and how he gets all the girls.

An opposing claim is that the book is boring and not exciting and nothing happening but I don’t think that’s true because matt talking about Keith I think is very entertaining.
I think people should get out and consider reading the book born too short.

[Max Chapman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a very good book. This book is about a 5'1 nerd named Matt Greene, who is jealous of his best friend Keith Livingston because Keith is a popular, girl attracting, amazing athlete. Keith starts a musical that became a hit. Matt has been playing guitar for years and his friend put the whole show together, only knowing four chords on guitar. Matt gets mad from all the attention his friend is getting and wishes his life would fall apart. As Keith's life gets worse, Matt's life is getting better, but he can't enjoy it because his friend feels horrible. What I thought was interesting about this book, was how the lives of the two main character's lives switched around. Keith's life became bad and Matt's life became good. I would recommend this book to any one who is older than 13 years old and is mature enough to handle some of the things that go on in this book.

[(C) Archer at KIPP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born Too Short by Dan Elish is a story about an eighth grade boy, named Matt Greene, that has an all-star friend, named Keith, and everything goes good for him. Matt is the shortest boy in his grade and to every one else he is nothing. After making the biggest mistake of his eighth grade life, telling a hobo on the New York streets that he wants to switch the way that things are going between him and his best friend, Matt is willing to go back to his normal self.
I would rate this book a 10 because I can really relate to Matt’s social and regular life. I am the shortest one in the eighth grade so I relate to him. I could not put this book down, and I loved it!!!

[Cam Foster · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book for many reasons the location the story and the characters. To begin with I feel the honesty threw the characters also in this book from the main character Matt and his buddie Keith . Matt is best friends with the school jock and practically perfect guy and it's starting to really get on his nerves. Girls always are atracted to Keith and pretty much just trip over Matt.

I really injoyed the book born to short it was kinda funny and really kinda nerdie book but still funny cute and amusing! And also when Matt gets to go outwith with his moms excange student for the night and he said its the best night of his life.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a little too out there for my enjoyment. It's about this eighth grader who is short and his best friend is this tall stud and the whole book practically was him whining about him being to short. It had a few funny parts but most of it was just weird and i could not relate to it at all.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

i picked this up after one of my seventh grade boys brought it back. (he happens to be very short) i think i read it to see if it gave him any insights on dealing with his size, but it really didn't. it was a pretty good book with kind of a fun story on how a friend deals with being jealous of his super jock, super good-looking, babe magnet, taller best-friend.

[Padya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reaalllyyyyyyyyyyyyyy love it!!!!!!!!!!!

[Haley McManus · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good lesson at the end of this book¡ Not the best but good enough to read!

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teen book.
Good for boys.
Short boy is jealous of best friend.
Dating.
Light.
Banned in Carroll County.
Funny.

[Jordan Pennington]

i think the book is pretty good, i like how he makes a wish and it actually comes true.