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Tales to Tickle the Funnybone #1
The Boy Who Owned the School
Jacob Freisten's goal in life is to go about unnoticed. He's perfect at gliding past the jocks' lockers and sneaking into his English class. That was, until now. If Jacob wants to pass English, he must work for extra credit on the stage crew of the school production of The Wizard of Oz.
Jacob, who is usually in a fog anyway, has the the job of running the fog machine. The problem is that Maria Tresser, the girl of his dreams, is cast as the Wicked Witch. Jacob's already made a fool of himself in front of Maria. How can he face her again?
Jacob, who is usually in a fog anyway, has the the job of running the fog machine. The problem is that Maria Tresser, the girl of his dreams, is cast as the Wicked Witch. Jacob's already made a fool of himself in front of Maria. How can he face her again?
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
14 people are currently reading
655 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
409 books3,985 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 6, 2023
You could probably call The Boy Who Owned the School, which debuted in 1990, Gary Paulsen's first comedy novel. Like many Paulsen teen characters, high-schooler Jacob Freisten views himself as a pariah. He may be smart, but he's on the verge of flunking English class, and is an accident-prone daydreamer who avoids other kids at almost any cost. Jacob quails at the thought of even directly looking at Maria Tresser, the desire of every guy their age in school. Fate steps in when Mrs. Hilsak, the English teacher, informs Jacob of his imminent failure. She has an offer: he can work behind the scenes on the school play of The Wizard of Oz, and the extra credit will bump his grade into the passing range. Wanting to avoid academic scrutiny from his alcoholic parents, Jacob agrees. Who would guess it's the first step to finding love?
A kid with no friends, Jacob has honed the art of avoiding interaction with jocks and other bullies, and he uses his technique to flow from class to class and exit the school unscathed most days. He can't avoid being noticed at play rehearsal, not even by Maria Tresser, who in addition to being popular, gorgeous, and genuinely friendly is the school's most talented actress and has been cast as the Wicked Witch of the West for this play. She goes out of her way to converse with Jacob where he is stationed in wait under a trapdoor to activate the fog machine for the show, and bandying words with her is more than he can handle: a few klutzy incidents on set prove he should stay away from Maria. That's okay; he's used to being alone.
Jacob had no idea the love bug would bite him. Being within the sound of Maria's voice below the stage, yet unable to bring himself to enter her sight, is a torture that leads to foolish blunders in every area of his life. Jacob wants to complete his extra credit obligation so he can distance himself and forget about Maria, but theater has a magic all its own. Fate might not allow Jacob the final say when the curtain goes up for the big show.
The Boy Who Owned the School features a main character, narrative, and sense of humor similar to many Gary Paulsen comedy novels. The primary commonality is an over-the-top awkward guy with a pathological fear of girls, which I gather isn't far off how teenage Gary Paulsen actually was. The tropes feel well-worn, but I'll rate this book two and a half stars because of its authentic optimism. Most people, especially himself, find Jacob unappealing, but the complex plans he develops for getting around school without drawing attention reveal a strange brilliance beneath the surface. It's tempting for a guy like that to think he'll never get the girl because better-looking candidates exist, but many girls want a guy who thinks unconventionally, who can process the world around them and shoot out insightful, humorous commentary. Is Jacob's mind enough to capture Maria? I don't love Gary Paulsen's comedies, but The Boy Who Owned the School is among the better ones, offering a window into the thoughts of a beloved author.
A kid with no friends, Jacob has honed the art of avoiding interaction with jocks and other bullies, and he uses his technique to flow from class to class and exit the school unscathed most days. He can't avoid being noticed at play rehearsal, not even by Maria Tresser, who in addition to being popular, gorgeous, and genuinely friendly is the school's most talented actress and has been cast as the Wicked Witch of the West for this play. She goes out of her way to converse with Jacob where he is stationed in wait under a trapdoor to activate the fog machine for the show, and bandying words with her is more than he can handle: a few klutzy incidents on set prove he should stay away from Maria. That's okay; he's used to being alone.
Jacob had no idea the love bug would bite him. Being within the sound of Maria's voice below the stage, yet unable to bring himself to enter her sight, is a torture that leads to foolish blunders in every area of his life. Jacob wants to complete his extra credit obligation so he can distance himself and forget about Maria, but theater has a magic all its own. Fate might not allow Jacob the final say when the curtain goes up for the big show.
The Boy Who Owned the School features a main character, narrative, and sense of humor similar to many Gary Paulsen comedy novels. The primary commonality is an over-the-top awkward guy with a pathological fear of girls, which I gather isn't far off how teenage Gary Paulsen actually was. The tropes feel well-worn, but I'll rate this book two and a half stars because of its authentic optimism. Most people, especially himself, find Jacob unappealing, but the complex plans he develops for getting around school without drawing attention reveal a strange brilliance beneath the surface. It's tempting for a guy like that to think he'll never get the girl because better-looking candidates exist, but many girls want a guy who thinks unconventionally, who can process the world around them and shoot out insightful, humorous commentary. Is Jacob's mind enough to capture Maria? I don't love Gary Paulsen's comedies, but The Boy Who Owned the School is among the better ones, offering a window into the thoughts of a beloved author.
September 5, 2010
Disaster seems to follow Jacob Freisten around, especially when people pay attention to him. As a result, he does his best to stay unnoticed at all times, with mixed results. This is all complicated by the fact that a) his sister is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty queen who calls him Buttwad (gross), and b) he is in love with the most popular girl in school, Maria Tresser.
Unfortunately, he is noticed by his English teacher, who tells him he's in danger of failing her class. She gives him the chance to save himself with extra credit by working the fog machine in the school's production of The Wizard of Oz, for which Maria just happens to be playing the Wicked Witch. He just wants to get through this without humiliating himself in front of the girl of his dreams (again), but he worries he's destined for failure in all he does.
I didn't remember this story being so dark. I don't know if it was because I didn't notice it when I was younger, or if I even understood what was happening, but there are a lot of questionable elements in Jacob's family life. Jacob lives in the basement, which is usually so humid that his posters refuse to stay on the wall, while his sister gets a huge room upstairs, not only with a real bed (Jacob has a cot) but with a couch too. His parents concentrate almost completely on his sister, and sort of neglect Jacob. I know it was meant to be presented as humorous, what with Murphy's law reigning supreme, but still. I certainly wouldn't want to be Jacob.
I also was disturbed by the light way in which Paulsen throws in certain issues. Jacob's parents have a certain penchant for drink ("Not enough to be alcoholics, and they didn't abuse him, but it was enough so that he didn't really know them except as drinkers" [7]). They pretty much drink all the time. I like wine as much as the next person, but I'm not constantly with a glass in my hand. Paulsen also throws in (so quickly you almost don't catch it) that Jacob has thought about suicide (51).
Again, I know this is meant to be an exaggeration and that it's meant to be funny because EVERYTHING goes wrong for him, but it still just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not saying don't let your kids read this, I'm just saying I didn't care for it that much.
*SPOILER*
Just so you know, everything turns out just fine in the end, with some minor (okay, maybe major) mishaps during the performance. He gets the girl, his mom pays him some attention, and he has a better life than before the play. Everyone is happy.
This was kind of funny, but not one I'd recommend, to be honest. Paulsen has written some great stuff, but I just wasn't feeling this one.
Unfortunately, he is noticed by his English teacher, who tells him he's in danger of failing her class. She gives him the chance to save himself with extra credit by working the fog machine in the school's production of The Wizard of Oz, for which Maria just happens to be playing the Wicked Witch. He just wants to get through this without humiliating himself in front of the girl of his dreams (again), but he worries he's destined for failure in all he does.
I didn't remember this story being so dark. I don't know if it was because I didn't notice it when I was younger, or if I even understood what was happening, but there are a lot of questionable elements in Jacob's family life. Jacob lives in the basement, which is usually so humid that his posters refuse to stay on the wall, while his sister gets a huge room upstairs, not only with a real bed (Jacob has a cot) but with a couch too. His parents concentrate almost completely on his sister, and sort of neglect Jacob. I know it was meant to be presented as humorous, what with Murphy's law reigning supreme, but still. I certainly wouldn't want to be Jacob.
I also was disturbed by the light way in which Paulsen throws in certain issues. Jacob's parents have a certain penchant for drink ("Not enough to be alcoholics, and they didn't abuse him, but it was enough so that he didn't really know them except as drinkers" [7]). They pretty much drink all the time. I like wine as much as the next person, but I'm not constantly with a glass in my hand. Paulsen also throws in (so quickly you almost don't catch it) that Jacob has thought about suicide (51).
Again, I know this is meant to be an exaggeration and that it's meant to be funny because EVERYTHING goes wrong for him, but it still just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not saying don't let your kids read this, I'm just saying I didn't care for it that much.
*SPOILER*
Just so you know, everything turns out just fine in the end, with some minor (okay, maybe major) mishaps during the performance. He gets the girl, his mom pays him some attention, and he has a better life than before the play. Everyone is happy.
This was kind of funny, but not one I'd recommend, to be honest. Paulsen has written some great stuff, but I just wasn't feeling this one.
July 20, 2018
loved the ending!
April 12, 2013
This book is terrible.
“The Boy Who Owned the School” by Gary Paulsen is a bad book. It starts off with a boy named Jacob Freinsten. Jacob, the protagonist, is a very geeky kid, and even thinks so himself. “and so he started this dream as if he weren’t like he was, weren’t an absolutely perfect example of a geek, but was somebody normal…” (Paulsen, 38-29). Jacob has an interesting family. He has a mom and dad who are not crazy, but not exactly normal either. His mom and dad care about him, but because his sister is a fashion model with a lot of fame they care about her more. On the other hand, Jacob’s sister and Jacob hate each other. Jacob’s sister gets a really good room upstairs, but Jacob gets a “small, dank room in the basement with a cot and a window high in the wall that looked up at a small square of sky. Kind of like a dungeon cell, he thought.” (9). For Jacob, though, school is the hardest part of the day. He tries to be invisible, dodging everyone. He does this because if he get’s attention, he usually ends up not thinking and messing up. “Getting in without being noticed. There it was, when he was seen, or noticed, or watched, things…happened. Ridiculous things.” (2). Jacob especially doesn’t want to be noticed by Maria Tresser, the hottest girl in school. Jacob has a crush on Maria, but doesn’t want her to notice him because he’s afraid he will mess up in embarrass himself in front of her. The main problem for Jacob is that he has to be part of a school play. I’m not going to spoil the book, but in order to pass English, he has to take extra credit and run the school fog machine. In the school play, it is very hard for him to not be noticed, so that is his main problem.
The reason I hate “The Boy Who Owned the School” is because it is a very short, undeveloped book. It is only 85 pages long and each page has big text. I also don’t like the main character in general. You would expect Jacob, at the end of the book, to change and act normal, not hiding from everyone, but the book never says anything about this. Even though Jacob is the protagonist, he is a static character. Everyone else is static, too, and nothing really changes in the book except for one thing (and I’m not going to spoil what happens, either.) In the book, Jacob is always someone who messes up, and although the book has a happy ending, Jacob’s life doesn’t really. The book also has a bad, undeveloped plot. The entire book doesn’t get too much suspense. Although there is suspense, it only increases a little in the climax, making the reader want more from the climax. The reader actually wants more to happen in the entire book, because, as I somewhat mentioned before, this is one of those books that doesn’t completely end at the last page. One good thing about the book, however, is its good use of irony. When Jacob tries to not mess up, he actually messes up more. Many books, even some long ones, don’t have nearly as much irony as this book. Even with the irony, though, the book still is bad, because after you read a little this irony gets old. At the start, ridiculous things happen, but after a while you can expect what’s going to happen next. The entire book is simply Jacob trying to not be seen, but in turn be seen, and this irony can get really repetitive and almost as useless as Jacob hiding from everyone. In all, I recommend you not to buy this book, because although it isn’t the worst book, it is still really, really bad.
“The Boy Who Owned the School” by Gary Paulsen is a bad book. It starts off with a boy named Jacob Freinsten. Jacob, the protagonist, is a very geeky kid, and even thinks so himself. “and so he started this dream as if he weren’t like he was, weren’t an absolutely perfect example of a geek, but was somebody normal…” (Paulsen, 38-29). Jacob has an interesting family. He has a mom and dad who are not crazy, but not exactly normal either. His mom and dad care about him, but because his sister is a fashion model with a lot of fame they care about her more. On the other hand, Jacob’s sister and Jacob hate each other. Jacob’s sister gets a really good room upstairs, but Jacob gets a “small, dank room in the basement with a cot and a window high in the wall that looked up at a small square of sky. Kind of like a dungeon cell, he thought.” (9). For Jacob, though, school is the hardest part of the day. He tries to be invisible, dodging everyone. He does this because if he get’s attention, he usually ends up not thinking and messing up. “Getting in without being noticed. There it was, when he was seen, or noticed, or watched, things…happened. Ridiculous things.” (2). Jacob especially doesn’t want to be noticed by Maria Tresser, the hottest girl in school. Jacob has a crush on Maria, but doesn’t want her to notice him because he’s afraid he will mess up in embarrass himself in front of her. The main problem for Jacob is that he has to be part of a school play. I’m not going to spoil the book, but in order to pass English, he has to take extra credit and run the school fog machine. In the school play, it is very hard for him to not be noticed, so that is his main problem.
The reason I hate “The Boy Who Owned the School” is because it is a very short, undeveloped book. It is only 85 pages long and each page has big text. I also don’t like the main character in general. You would expect Jacob, at the end of the book, to change and act normal, not hiding from everyone, but the book never says anything about this. Even though Jacob is the protagonist, he is a static character. Everyone else is static, too, and nothing really changes in the book except for one thing (and I’m not going to spoil what happens, either.) In the book, Jacob is always someone who messes up, and although the book has a happy ending, Jacob’s life doesn’t really. The book also has a bad, undeveloped plot. The entire book doesn’t get too much suspense. Although there is suspense, it only increases a little in the climax, making the reader want more from the climax. The reader actually wants more to happen in the entire book, because, as I somewhat mentioned before, this is one of those books that doesn’t completely end at the last page. One good thing about the book, however, is its good use of irony. When Jacob tries to not mess up, he actually messes up more. Many books, even some long ones, don’t have nearly as much irony as this book. Even with the irony, though, the book still is bad, because after you read a little this irony gets old. At the start, ridiculous things happen, but after a while you can expect what’s going to happen next. The entire book is simply Jacob trying to not be seen, but in turn be seen, and this irony can get really repetitive and almost as useless as Jacob hiding from everyone. In all, I recommend you not to buy this book, because although it isn’t the worst book, it is still really, really bad.
November 11, 2009
The Boy Who Owned The School by Gary Paulsen
Insecurity/Love/Self-Esteem
This short, but cute story is about Jacob, a boy who's sole purpose in life is to remain unnoticed. Whenever he is noticed, terrible things happen. One day, Jacob gets noticed by his English teacher, who explains to him that he is failing. So to boost his grade, he is forced to work on the school play of The Wizard of Oz. The most beautiful girl in school is in the play and they must work together. But something goes terribly wrong on the night of the performance. Will Jacob find love in the process? Paulsen's Jacob is the teen that many will relate to. Many in high school wish they were invisible. I think both girls and boys will find this book appealing, especially since it is so short.
Insecurity/Love/Self-Esteem
This short, but cute story is about Jacob, a boy who's sole purpose in life is to remain unnoticed. Whenever he is noticed, terrible things happen. One day, Jacob gets noticed by his English teacher, who explains to him that he is failing. So to boost his grade, he is forced to work on the school play of The Wizard of Oz. The most beautiful girl in school is in the play and they must work together. But something goes terribly wrong on the night of the performance. Will Jacob find love in the process? Paulsen's Jacob is the teen that many will relate to. Many in high school wish they were invisible. I think both girls and boys will find this book appealing, especially since it is so short.
October 25, 2011
Jacob is in high school and wants nothing more than to ‘not be noticed’. It is his goal each day to go unnoticed because whenever he is noticed something bad happens. He gets pushed around the halls, stuffed in a garbage can or locker, or he ploughs into the cutest, nicest girl in school in P.E., Maria. Almost failing English his teacher makes him help out with the school play for extra credit. His job in the school play is to run the fog machine for Maria without messing up.
This is a great quick read about stresses and problems many kids endure in high school especially if they are not part of the ‘in’ crowd. Paulsen stays true to his form; this is a great book on how to survive high school. Paulsen will make you laugh and he throws a little romance in too.
This is a great quick read about stresses and problems many kids endure in high school especially if they are not part of the ‘in’ crowd. Paulsen stays true to his form; this is a great book on how to survive high school. Paulsen will make you laugh and he throws a little romance in too.
June 14, 2010
This is the story about an awkward boy who just wants to stay invisible. However, he has a crush on one of the prettiest girls in the school. He gets an opportunity to be near her a lot, but he still has to deal with his want of being invisible, yet still wanting to take her out on a date. I thought this was a cute story, and maybe it was meant for a lot younger audience than young adults. However, it was interesting to be in his mind and try to see why he wanted to stay invisible.
January 13, 2010
A boy who finds love using a simple fog machine. Enough said.
November 14, 2021
In honor of the author Gary Paulsen, who passed away last month at the age of 82, I decided to read one of his lesser-known books, THE BOY WHO OWNED THE SCHOOL, published in 1990.
This was a strange story. Jacob is a boy who wants to go unnoticed. Everything is going to plan until he starts failing English and his teacher tells him that in order to pass, he has to be involved in the school play, which is The Wizard of Oz. It is then he discovers the girl of his dream, Maria, who's playing the coveted role of the wicked witch. Jacob's job is to operate the fog machine below the stage when the witch melts. It's about a boy who doesn't understand that it's his imperfections that make him desirable.
While this story had a cute premise, I personally felt that Paulsen was way out of his element with this book. Paulsen is famous for his outdoorsy-type narratives. His most famous is the Newberry honor book HATCHET, which every kid has probably read. This book just felt wrong for him.
In the first place it felt too choppy, and because of this choppiness, it inevitably felt rushed. I also felt that Paulsen dropped too many interesting things, but didn't go anywhere with them. Jacob has a sister who's so beautiful that they think she's going to end up being a Miss America contestant someday. I felt like that story was more interesting than Jacob's.
I will give it this: that the humor was funny in certain parts. I read some poor reviews of this book stating that it's not really appropriate for children because there are references to parents being drinkers, if not full-blown alcoholics, and there is a brief mention of Jacob contemplating suicide. To those reviewers, I saw, phooey, because I work at a middle school and kids look at adults differently than how adults view other adults. And children these days live in a state of dramatics constantly. Either life is like a bowl of cherries and cream or it's a living hell. I suppose if you are sheltering your kid from life and its realities then yes, some of the subjects might seem questionable. But if you're like me and live in reality, these are interesting subjects that kids are dealing with, as sad as it may seem.
All in all, I wasn't impressed and would not recommend this book, especially if you're new to Paulsen. It's not a good introductory book of his work. But I will say this, it had an interesting premise, which is why I picked it up in the first place, but it just didn't explore anything further than brief mentions and kept running into cul-de-sacs for me. My rating - 2/5
This was a strange story. Jacob is a boy who wants to go unnoticed. Everything is going to plan until he starts failing English and his teacher tells him that in order to pass, he has to be involved in the school play, which is The Wizard of Oz. It is then he discovers the girl of his dream, Maria, who's playing the coveted role of the wicked witch. Jacob's job is to operate the fog machine below the stage when the witch melts. It's about a boy who doesn't understand that it's his imperfections that make him desirable.
While this story had a cute premise, I personally felt that Paulsen was way out of his element with this book. Paulsen is famous for his outdoorsy-type narratives. His most famous is the Newberry honor book HATCHET, which every kid has probably read. This book just felt wrong for him.
In the first place it felt too choppy, and because of this choppiness, it inevitably felt rushed. I also felt that Paulsen dropped too many interesting things, but didn't go anywhere with them. Jacob has a sister who's so beautiful that they think she's going to end up being a Miss America contestant someday. I felt like that story was more interesting than Jacob's.
I will give it this: that the humor was funny in certain parts. I read some poor reviews of this book stating that it's not really appropriate for children because there are references to parents being drinkers, if not full-blown alcoholics, and there is a brief mention of Jacob contemplating suicide. To those reviewers, I saw, phooey, because I work at a middle school and kids look at adults differently than how adults view other adults. And children these days live in a state of dramatics constantly. Either life is like a bowl of cherries and cream or it's a living hell. I suppose if you are sheltering your kid from life and its realities then yes, some of the subjects might seem questionable. But if you're like me and live in reality, these are interesting subjects that kids are dealing with, as sad as it may seem.
All in all, I wasn't impressed and would not recommend this book, especially if you're new to Paulsen. It's not a good introductory book of his work. But I will say this, it had an interesting premise, which is why I picked it up in the first place, but it just didn't explore anything further than brief mentions and kept running into cul-de-sacs for me. My rating - 2/5
April 15, 2018
REQUIRED AUTHOR: GARY PAULSEN
Whenever Jacob is noticed, something goes wrong. He trips over his own feet, is punished by teachers, and is bullied by jocks. So, he does his best to be invisible, timing his comings and goings perfectly so that no one will notice him. His life is pretty unhappy, considering that his parents spoil and pamper his aspiring model of a sister while he’s banished to the damp basement, and also considering that he’s in love with the most popular girl in school, someone he would never in his wildest dreams have a chance of being with. But when he’s assigned to work the set on the school play, maybe things will change.
This quirky book is a short and sweet read that’s an over-exaggeration of the traumas of adolescence. The plot doesn’t have much development, which is probably to be expected in a book of less than a hundred pages, but it’s filled with mopey yet funny, almost Roald Dahl-esque tidbits and situations that make it a fun read. It’s probably not a book that’s going to change anyone’s life, but I think it’s something that kids can laugh at and relate to. Although Jacob seems to be high-school age, this book is definitely geared toward younger readers, maybe even as old as 8-12.
Whenever Jacob is noticed, something goes wrong. He trips over his own feet, is punished by teachers, and is bullied by jocks. So, he does his best to be invisible, timing his comings and goings perfectly so that no one will notice him. His life is pretty unhappy, considering that his parents spoil and pamper his aspiring model of a sister while he’s banished to the damp basement, and also considering that he’s in love with the most popular girl in school, someone he would never in his wildest dreams have a chance of being with. But when he’s assigned to work the set on the school play, maybe things will change.
This quirky book is a short and sweet read that’s an over-exaggeration of the traumas of adolescence. The plot doesn’t have much development, which is probably to be expected in a book of less than a hundred pages, but it’s filled with mopey yet funny, almost Roald Dahl-esque tidbits and situations that make it a fun read. It’s probably not a book that’s going to change anyone’s life, but I think it’s something that kids can laugh at and relate to. Although Jacob seems to be high-school age, this book is definitely geared toward younger readers, maybe even as old as 8-12.
August 31, 2024
“That was the hardest part about school. Getting in without being noticed. There it was - he had to not be.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a middle grade fiction book.
In this book you follow Jacob, who is overlooked by his family and just wants to spend his days going unnoticed at school. The issue is he’s not doing well in his English class and if he wants to pass he hast to earn extra credit by helping out in the school production of the Wizard of Oz. He is in charge of the fog machine that will give the illusion that the wicked witch melting. The only problem is that his crush is playing the wicked witch. His ultimate goal is to do his job without being noticed. Only Jacob doesn’t usually have good luck.
I really liked this book. It was a quick short read. It was a perfect book about how it feels to be in your teens in middle school and those early high school years. Where you struggle with not being sure of yourself and you’re avoiding certain types of people, it was perfect. Overall, this was a great book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is a middle grade fiction book.
In this book you follow Jacob, who is overlooked by his family and just wants to spend his days going unnoticed at school. The issue is he’s not doing well in his English class and if he wants to pass he hast to earn extra credit by helping out in the school production of the Wizard of Oz. He is in charge of the fog machine that will give the illusion that the wicked witch melting. The only problem is that his crush is playing the wicked witch. His ultimate goal is to do his job without being noticed. Only Jacob doesn’t usually have good luck.
I really liked this book. It was a quick short read. It was a perfect book about how it feels to be in your teens in middle school and those early high school years. Where you struggle with not being sure of yourself and you’re avoiding certain types of people, it was perfect. Overall, this was a great book.
July 28, 2020
The characters of this story include Jacob, his family and Maria. Jacob’s story takes place in high school, where he daydreams and overplans every moment. This is a book about growing up, of acceptance of oneself and others, and about love. Jacob is misunderstood, and he sees everything as against him. The plot is fast moving -- he must prove himself to everyone, but most importantly to Maria. This character study shows Jacob getting past his self-consciousness, only to realize that he seems to be overwhelmingly normal. The book’s insight into the feelings of an adolescent boy and his developing interest in a relationship are exactly what children this age are concerned about. It is not overtly romantic. Boys may like it more than girls, since the central character is a guy.
July 31, 2025
I remember what a whirlwind it was to be fifteen years old, wanting many times to be invisible, or at the very least, unremarkable to others. I remember changing my walking routes during high school to avoid a group of bullies. Even though I had good times too, overall I just remember feeling awkward, out of place, and very ready to be older and in college already. I haven’t thought about some of this for years, but reading about Jacob Freisten sneaking in and out of his high school every day brought a good amount of these memories back. The Boy Who Owned the School by Gary Paulsen is an effective and relatable young adult book about a teen boy who does not believe in himself, but should.
Jacob avoids bullies like the way I once had to when he pulls off fast entrances and quick escapes to get in and out of school. Jacob also goes many steps further, putting in a significant amount of personal time and effort as he perfects his own timing to avoid hostile classmates: “They were old lockers, with combination locks that never worked right, but he had come one night with a tube of bicycle lubricant and worked at his lock until it was like a fine watch.” Jacob’s perfectionism as a high school escape artist does not extend to his work in English class, and his teacher informs him that he is going to fail unless he submits some form of extra credit. Luckily for Jacob, Mrs. Hilsak is both fair-minded and inventive, and tells Jacob that for extra credit, he can do backstage work for the class play she is directing.
Jacob is not enthusiastic about working on Mrs. Hilsak’s play, which turns out to be The Wizard of Oz, and he is even more uncomfortable when he has to work closely with Maria Tresser: “Maria Tresser was the most beautiful, the most popular, the most everything girl in school. She had it all.” Jacob likes Maria romantically, even conjuring her up in his very involved daydreams during class, but he is too down on himself to believe he has a chance with his dream girl: “He couldn’t love Maria. Not really. No more than a snail could love a princess—there was physics involved. It was like making up be down. An impossibility. Geeks didn’t get to love Maria.”
At the same time, Maria takes an obvious interest in Jacob, and is persistent in trying to get to know a boy who works hard to be unnoticed: “If Maria had given up trying to speak to him during rehearsals, she had not given up in the halls or classrooms. Twice she cornered him just before English and he would have had to say something, except that he’d suddenly ducked out as if he had to go to the bathroom.”
Jacob’s unhappy home life also contributes to his lack of confidence, as his parents dote on his older sister, and he is often left feeling like yesterday’s news. Jacob’s parents are focused to a fault at helping his sister become a successful teen beauty queen, and Jacob seems to get the second best of everything in their house as a result. When Jacob is thinking of his parents, it is easy to see why Jacob has a self-worth problem in the first place: “It wasn’t that he complained or even felt bad about it anymore. It was just life. And God knew, he thought, as he watched another bird fly past, that they had told him often enough it was a temporary problem—if you considered temporary to mean his whole life so far.” The ending of this book is phenomenal and hit me right in the heart. Gary Paulsen is a writer who knows the amazing power that simple words can have in a person’s life—I’d like to say more, but I’d rather you read it for yourself. I rate this book as four-out-of-five-stars and highly recommend it.
Jacob avoids bullies like the way I once had to when he pulls off fast entrances and quick escapes to get in and out of school. Jacob also goes many steps further, putting in a significant amount of personal time and effort as he perfects his own timing to avoid hostile classmates: “They were old lockers, with combination locks that never worked right, but he had come one night with a tube of bicycle lubricant and worked at his lock until it was like a fine watch.” Jacob’s perfectionism as a high school escape artist does not extend to his work in English class, and his teacher informs him that he is going to fail unless he submits some form of extra credit. Luckily for Jacob, Mrs. Hilsak is both fair-minded and inventive, and tells Jacob that for extra credit, he can do backstage work for the class play she is directing.
Jacob is not enthusiastic about working on Mrs. Hilsak’s play, which turns out to be The Wizard of Oz, and he is even more uncomfortable when he has to work closely with Maria Tresser: “Maria Tresser was the most beautiful, the most popular, the most everything girl in school. She had it all.” Jacob likes Maria romantically, even conjuring her up in his very involved daydreams during class, but he is too down on himself to believe he has a chance with his dream girl: “He couldn’t love Maria. Not really. No more than a snail could love a princess—there was physics involved. It was like making up be down. An impossibility. Geeks didn’t get to love Maria.”
At the same time, Maria takes an obvious interest in Jacob, and is persistent in trying to get to know a boy who works hard to be unnoticed: “If Maria had given up trying to speak to him during rehearsals, she had not given up in the halls or classrooms. Twice she cornered him just before English and he would have had to say something, except that he’d suddenly ducked out as if he had to go to the bathroom.”
Jacob’s unhappy home life also contributes to his lack of confidence, as his parents dote on his older sister, and he is often left feeling like yesterday’s news. Jacob’s parents are focused to a fault at helping his sister become a successful teen beauty queen, and Jacob seems to get the second best of everything in their house as a result. When Jacob is thinking of his parents, it is easy to see why Jacob has a self-worth problem in the first place: “It wasn’t that he complained or even felt bad about it anymore. It was just life. And God knew, he thought, as he watched another bird fly past, that they had told him often enough it was a temporary problem—if you considered temporary to mean his whole life so far.” The ending of this book is phenomenal and hit me right in the heart. Gary Paulsen is a writer who knows the amazing power that simple words can have in a person’s life—I’d like to say more, but I’d rather you read it for yourself. I rate this book as four-out-of-five-stars and highly recommend it.
February 18, 2024
This was fun. It was definitely Gary Paulsen, but not a nature book, kind of a "survival" book, like, how to survive high school, and it contains Paulsen's signature exploration of the thoughts of young people. I'm trying out the "Tales to Tickle the Funnybone Series" and it's fun so far.
And side-note ... is this actually a "series"??? I've done a little searching and can't really find any official publisher information or news accounts about this "series," so I'm a little curious...
And side-note ... is this actually a "series"??? I've done a little searching and can't really find any official publisher information or news accounts about this "series," so I'm a little curious...
August 13, 2020
This is sort of cute as an adult. Not sure how kids will like it. The main character is fairly "woe is me" and views the world through that lens. Memories from that time don't contradict the emotions that are portrayed in the book. There is a juxtaposition of silliness and reality that takes some of the fun out of story.
September 23, 2019
This is a very good book that I enjoyed reading . I would like to own a school one day.
January 28, 2020
I loved this book when I was a kid! I read it to my little girl during evening reading time and she thought it was hilarious, too.
March 22, 2021
Loved it.
March 9, 2022
Its potentially realistic in terms of what goes through a teenager's mind, but didn't seem to be a helpful book. Took God's name in vain. Sexual allusions.
February 17, 2023
C+. fiction, teen fiction, comedic fiction; boy helps with school play; from stash, discard
January 29, 2017
Love Gary Paulson, but not a fan of this book.
September 13, 2012
Authors Category: Gary Paulsen
Summary:
This is a story about a boy named Jacob Freisten. He hates himself. He hates everything about himself. The way he looks. The way his life is organized. Because he is so self conscious about himself, the thinks everyone is also. He lives at home with his parents and his sister. She is beaufiful and has everything, including a car. He does not have anything, except for one friend who he probably saw three times before he moved out from Jacob's neighborhood. His sister hates him. His parents does not care. Jacob has to pass English, and the only way he can gain extra credit is to control the fog machine at the schools "Wizard of Oz" play, that features Maria, the girl he loves, as the wicked witch. During his time at school, everything turns out to be a disaster. He gets thrown into dumpsters and lockers. He gets chased by a dog, and everything else imaginable happens to him. He often daydreams about Maria, but never really had the courage to ask her out on a date. Finally, when the night of the play arrived, of course he did the natural thing: Mess up! He miss judged the timing to release the fog for melting of the witch, which cause the entire theatre to fill up with fog and everyone had to evacuate. Luckily, Maria fell through the trap door, and was able to save her, talk to her, and eventually gained the nerves to ask her out on a date. She agreed and they went to the movies. His life was perfect again.
Personal Reaction:
Overall the book was really funny. I enjoyed it. There were some parts that I thought was really funny like when he stayed in a tree for almost an hour, trying to avoid a dog that chased him up that tree. It was a really short read. Although, it makes sense that it would be this short because I don't think I could read a couple hundred pages of this boy being so self conscious about himself, The entire book is about his rant about the way he looks, smells, runs, talks, etc, etc.
Critical Insight:
I think this book's purpose was to point out how some kids are so self conscious about themselves when they don't necessarily have to be. It does not make sense the effort that Jacob kept putting into himself, and how everyone hated him. Yes, you might be less confidence about your appearance, but it is not necessary that you obsess about it. I think that was the message, because we were able to see him come out successful in the end, by going on the date with Maria. Kids put way too much time and effort in their appearance, when they are the ones that really draw the attention to themselves.
Suggested Audience: I would suggest any kid who thinks it's "all about them" to read this book, and see how ridiculous they really look and sound and act when they think everyone is paying attention to them. I figure it was his actions that contributed to a lot the attention he gave himself.
Summary:
This is a story about a boy named Jacob Freisten. He hates himself. He hates everything about himself. The way he looks. The way his life is organized. Because he is so self conscious about himself, the thinks everyone is also. He lives at home with his parents and his sister. She is beaufiful and has everything, including a car. He does not have anything, except for one friend who he probably saw three times before he moved out from Jacob's neighborhood. His sister hates him. His parents does not care. Jacob has to pass English, and the only way he can gain extra credit is to control the fog machine at the schools "Wizard of Oz" play, that features Maria, the girl he loves, as the wicked witch. During his time at school, everything turns out to be a disaster. He gets thrown into dumpsters and lockers. He gets chased by a dog, and everything else imaginable happens to him. He often daydreams about Maria, but never really had the courage to ask her out on a date. Finally, when the night of the play arrived, of course he did the natural thing: Mess up! He miss judged the timing to release the fog for melting of the witch, which cause the entire theatre to fill up with fog and everyone had to evacuate. Luckily, Maria fell through the trap door, and was able to save her, talk to her, and eventually gained the nerves to ask her out on a date. She agreed and they went to the movies. His life was perfect again.
Personal Reaction:
Overall the book was really funny. I enjoyed it. There were some parts that I thought was really funny like when he stayed in a tree for almost an hour, trying to avoid a dog that chased him up that tree. It was a really short read. Although, it makes sense that it would be this short because I don't think I could read a couple hundred pages of this boy being so self conscious about himself, The entire book is about his rant about the way he looks, smells, runs, talks, etc, etc.
Critical Insight:
I think this book's purpose was to point out how some kids are so self conscious about themselves when they don't necessarily have to be. It does not make sense the effort that Jacob kept putting into himself, and how everyone hated him. Yes, you might be less confidence about your appearance, but it is not necessary that you obsess about it. I think that was the message, because we were able to see him come out successful in the end, by going on the date with Maria. Kids put way too much time and effort in their appearance, when they are the ones that really draw the attention to themselves.
Suggested Audience: I would suggest any kid who thinks it's "all about them" to read this book, and see how ridiculous they really look and sound and act when they think everyone is paying attention to them. I figure it was his actions that contributed to a lot the attention he gave himself.
April 12, 2018
REQUIRED AUTHOR (GARY PAULSEN)
Summary: This is about a young boy who wants to be invisible. He is constantly tripping over thing and trying to avoid the bullies--or any attention really. At the end, the girl he loves notices him and he begins to believe that he is a winner, not a loser.
Analysis: This isn't your typical teenage hero story. The hero, Jacob, is a loner, clumsy, and silent pretty much the whole book. What makes him hero is that he learns to see himself as a winner, all because of a girl he loves that is interested in him as well. It isn't so much about learning to be something other than a klutz. It's about learning to love himself even though he is one.
I would recommend this book for middle school aged children. It's an easy read with a topic that is easier (but important) to understand/grapple with than a lot of other YA novels.
Summary: This is about a young boy who wants to be invisible. He is constantly tripping over thing and trying to avoid the bullies--or any attention really. At the end, the girl he loves notices him and he begins to believe that he is a winner, not a loser.
Analysis: This isn't your typical teenage hero story. The hero, Jacob, is a loner, clumsy, and silent pretty much the whole book. What makes him hero is that he learns to see himself as a winner, all because of a girl he loves that is interested in him as well. It isn't so much about learning to be something other than a klutz. It's about learning to love himself even though he is one.
I would recommend this book for middle school aged children. It's an easy read with a topic that is easier (but important) to understand/grapple with than a lot of other YA novels.
December 16, 2016
The book, “The boy who owned the school”, written by Gary Paulsen is a comedy of love that talks about Jacob Freisten a High School boy that he doesn’t wants to be noticed by nobody and specially by Maria Tresser. This story shows they type of a shy, scared, and afraid of being noticed because “If you get noticed, bad things happen” that is the phrase Jacob uses when he thinks he could be noticed. Jacob has an arrogant older sister, that get what she wants because she is older and everything she needs is because of her career, his mother tells him that after her sister graduate the attention will be back at him. While her sister has a big room upstairs, Jacob’s room where in the garage. Jacob lives his life like a ghost like he is not even there, he just observes and thinks different ways to not be noticed. Mrs. Hilsak, his English teacher, warning him about failing her class so she put him to help her in the rehearsals and because of that Jacob start being noticed and Maria started talk to him. After many rehearsals, was the show time and his parents and sister went and he messed up with the only work he needed to do, but after all the mess he told Maria everything how he feels. In my opinion, I kinda like this book because is short and has strong vocabulary, but the story is too short didn’t have a lot of details, not drama, and not much talking with the characters. This book is for everyone who likes short stories and not too much details, I think my classmates would like it because is easily to understand and doesn’t have metaphors. I would recommend this book to people who feel invisible and don’t want to be noticed or don’t have anything to do, but I would not recommend to people who like detail stories because this book doesn’t have that.
April 16, 2018
REQUIRED AUTHOR: GARY PAULSEN
This novel is about a boy that goes through life trying to be invisible. He has worked everything out so he is never seen or noticed especially at school. Everything changes when he gets noticed one day in English and is forced to participate in the school play in order to pass the class. His daydreams cause him to make mistakes which get him noticed. He must either get his daydreams back under control or learn to be brave enough to talk to the girl he loves.
I liked this book. I kind of expected it to be some kind of novel about having confidence or that it would go into something about his inability to function when people notice him. It didn't really go into either, but it was still entertaining reading the novel and trying to figure out what was going to happen in the end. I liked the ending of the book. Everything seems to be going wrong throughout the entire book, and it isn't until the very end that things turn out much better than anyone could have imagined. Overall, it was a cute, entertaining book.
This novel is about a boy that goes through life trying to be invisible. He has worked everything out so he is never seen or noticed especially at school. Everything changes when he gets noticed one day in English and is forced to participate in the school play in order to pass the class. His daydreams cause him to make mistakes which get him noticed. He must either get his daydreams back under control or learn to be brave enough to talk to the girl he loves.
I liked this book. I kind of expected it to be some kind of novel about having confidence or that it would go into something about his inability to function when people notice him. It didn't really go into either, but it was still entertaining reading the novel and trying to figure out what was going to happen in the end. I liked the ending of the book. Everything seems to be going wrong throughout the entire book, and it isn't until the very end that things turn out much better than anyone could have imagined. Overall, it was a cute, entertaining book.
November 4, 2014
Well one thing that I have to say about this book is it was really fun to read. I say that because it talks about how Jacob Freisten is trying not to be seen and noticed. Also tries to talk to this girl he really likes named Maria. The thing that fought me to read this book is the title and I like fun books so I decided to just pick this book out. It just explains what it would be like if someone owned our school. The problem would be we wouldn't get enough education probably not even the right one.
Jacob tries to talk to Maria his crush but he never gets to because he gets to nervous. Its like if this book was real with some few tweaks added to it Most people feel that in school they don't fell noticed from their friends or the person they like. They try to do the most to try to get there attention some kids will go to far so this book is realistic but non realistic at the same time.
Jacob has a pretty sister and the funny thing about that is that they don't care about Jacob if I was Jacob I would want fair treatment. Good thing they put a sister in the book because it makes everything more interesting because mostly all the time no one likes there big sisters or something bad happens to her. The bad thing is you have to rescue her even though she's mean but she's still your sister. This is a normal teenager life a kid fights with his sister a lot and then your sister tells your parents that your in a play and they end up going because the girl you like will be in a play or in a acting class.
Jacob tries to talk to Maria his crush but he never gets to because he gets to nervous. Its like if this book was real with some few tweaks added to it Most people feel that in school they don't fell noticed from their friends or the person they like. They try to do the most to try to get there attention some kids will go to far so this book is realistic but non realistic at the same time.
Jacob has a pretty sister and the funny thing about that is that they don't care about Jacob if I was Jacob I would want fair treatment. Good thing they put a sister in the book because it makes everything more interesting because mostly all the time no one likes there big sisters or something bad happens to her. The bad thing is you have to rescue her even though she's mean but she's still your sister. This is a normal teenager life a kid fights with his sister a lot and then your sister tells your parents that your in a play and they end up going because the girl you like will be in a play or in a acting class.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2012
GARY PAULSEN
This was a short, entertaining book about a high school boy (Jacob) who's sole desire is not to be noticed. He sneaks into the high school each day, knows the current of the students, and has a crush on a girl named Maria. Unfortunately, one day his English teacher changes all that by asking him to stay after class. He does, and is informed that he needs to work in the school play in order to receive enough extra credit not to fail the class. Not wanting the negative attention from his parents (usually he doesn't get any attention from them - all their time goes to their jobs, drinking, or his sister's beauty queen "career"), he agrees to do it. This makes him late for gym where he literally runs over Maria, and each time he's noticed, something goes wrong. In the end, he's in charge of the fog machine for the play, but doesn't quite know how to work it. He floods the whole set too early with too much fog, and, while trying to save Maria, ends up telling her everything he feels. She agrees to go out with him because, as she says, he's "a winner." And then his life is perfect.
Good use of fragment sentences; not much character or plot development since it was such a short book.
This was a short, entertaining book about a high school boy (Jacob) who's sole desire is not to be noticed. He sneaks into the high school each day, knows the current of the students, and has a crush on a girl named Maria. Unfortunately, one day his English teacher changes all that by asking him to stay after class. He does, and is informed that he needs to work in the school play in order to receive enough extra credit not to fail the class. Not wanting the negative attention from his parents (usually he doesn't get any attention from them - all their time goes to their jobs, drinking, or his sister's beauty queen "career"), he agrees to do it. This makes him late for gym where he literally runs over Maria, and each time he's noticed, something goes wrong. In the end, he's in charge of the fog machine for the play, but doesn't quite know how to work it. He floods the whole set too early with too much fog, and, while trying to save Maria, ends up telling her everything he feels. She agrees to go out with him because, as she says, he's "a winner." And then his life is perfect.
Good use of fragment sentences; not much character or plot development since it was such a short book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2009
Genre/Category: self esteem/confidence/high school/romance
Summary: Jacob is invisible. At least, he tries to be. If he is ever noticed at school, even looked at for just a second, something terribly clumsy and embarrassing will happen. Unfortunately, his desire to remain unseen reflects in his grades and in order to avoid failing his English class, he must do some work on the school play, a place where he is sure to be seen. Maria Tresser, the most popular girl in school, begins to take notice of Jacob, only to make things worse for Jacob! His jitters around Maria convince him that he needs to disappear even more and people rarely see him. The big night for the play comes and things go horribly wrong with Jacob's duties, but somehow, everything manages to work out just right. He lands a date with Maria, and begins to realize that he just might own the school.
A funny, humorous read that entices young adults who recognize the fear of being noticed in the wrong way.
Summary: Jacob is invisible. At least, he tries to be. If he is ever noticed at school, even looked at for just a second, something terribly clumsy and embarrassing will happen. Unfortunately, his desire to remain unseen reflects in his grades and in order to avoid failing his English class, he must do some work on the school play, a place where he is sure to be seen. Maria Tresser, the most popular girl in school, begins to take notice of Jacob, only to make things worse for Jacob! His jitters around Maria convince him that he needs to disappear even more and people rarely see him. The big night for the play comes and things go horribly wrong with Jacob's duties, but somehow, everything manages to work out just right. He lands a date with Maria, and begins to realize that he just might own the school.
A funny, humorous read that entices young adults who recognize the fear of being noticed in the wrong way.
May 16, 2017
This tells the story of a boy who feels invisible. He avoids interaction with people as much as he can because every time he gets noticed by the other kids, it's in an embarrassing way. But when he starts working behind the stage of the school play and dreaming about the beautiful girl starring in it, things start to change.
This story was adorable and pretty accurate to the high school loner. The story was short and simple but it was memorable. It didn't shout out a theme or moral to readers which is often refreshing. Teenagers need some books that allow them to get what they want out of reading it. I find this a delightful book for middle school girls and boys with a good sense of humor.
This story was adorable and pretty accurate to the high school loner. The story was short and simple but it was memorable. It didn't shout out a theme or moral to readers which is often refreshing. Teenagers need some books that allow them to get what they want out of reading it. I find this a delightful book for middle school girls and boys with a good sense of humor.
November 28, 2012
GARY PAULSEN
Jacob's major goal is to get through high school without being noticed. But that seems impossible when his English teacher makes him work for the set of the Wizard of Oz play at his school. On top of that, the love of his life--Maria--is also working on the play, and if he has to face her, he will surely make a fool of himself! This is a tiny, easy-to-read book that younger teens would enjoy. The plot is simple and the characters are not very well-developed, but what more can you expect from a book less than 100 pages? The reader will root for Jacob, and will revel in his small triumphs over his natural shyness.
Jacob's major goal is to get through high school without being noticed. But that seems impossible when his English teacher makes him work for the set of the Wizard of Oz play at his school. On top of that, the love of his life--Maria--is also working on the play, and if he has to face her, he will surely make a fool of himself! This is a tiny, easy-to-read book that younger teens would enjoy. The plot is simple and the characters are not very well-developed, but what more can you expect from a book less than 100 pages? The reader will root for Jacob, and will revel in his small triumphs over his natural shyness.
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