Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Turtleback (2011), Edition: Reprint, 256 pages
Description
When thirteen-year-old David Greenberg's best friend makes the start of middle school even worse than he feared it could be, David becomes friends with Sophie, who shares his love of television shows and posts one of their skits on YouTube, making them wildly popular--online, at least.
Awards
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (Nominee — 2013)
Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award (Nominee — 2013)
The Best Children's Books of the Year (Nine to Twelve — 2011)
Texas Lone Star Reading List (2011)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member pumabeth
Authors don't always have to imagine; sometimes they just need to possess keen recall of that timeless adolescent anxiety over appearance, the opposite sex, rate of physical maturity, and the need to belong. Although the adolescent world has changed to include emails and youtube, the fear of
David's sixth grade year travels peaks and plummets like a roller coaster. He is developing a close friendship with a nice girl at school but struggles with the absence of his mother who has moved away and never visits. He has become a star on youtube as a talk show host of sorts, but fights to remain invisible at school to avoid the bully who throws oranges at his head and flushes his head in the school toilet.
David captures the reader's heart, and everyone can identify with his plight and cheer for him when the news publishes a story about his youtube fame. A very realistic portrayal of David's survival in middle school.
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swirlies is alive and well thanks to bullies who flush the heads of their prey in school toilets.David's sixth grade year travels peaks and plummets like a roller coaster. He is developing a close friendship with a nice girl at school but struggles with the absence of his mother who has moved away and never visits. He has become a star on youtube as a talk show host of sorts, but fights to remain invisible at school to avoid the bully who throws oranges at his head and flushes his head in the school toilet.
David captures the reader's heart, and everyone can identify with his plight and cheer for him when the news publishes a story about his youtube fame. A very realistic portrayal of David's survival in middle school.
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LibraryThing member prkcs
When thirteen-year-old David Greenberg's best friend makes the start of middle school even worse than he feared it could be, David becomes friends with Penny, who shares his love of television shows and posts one of their skits on YouTube, making them wildly popular--online, at least.
LibraryThing member mjsbooks
I read Gephart's first novel, "As if Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother is Running for President," and thought it had comic promise but a somewhat unlikely plot. So I'm pleased to report that her newest effort, "How to Survive Middle School," is still funny but more focused. Sixth grader
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David Greenburg gets off to a miserable start at middle school, but things pick up when he makes a new girl friend and attracts notice for his "Daily Show" parodies on Youtube. (John Stewart is his idol.) Show Less
LibraryThing member lilibrarian
David Greenberg wants to be a tv superstar, like his idol, Jon Stewart. He makes humorous you-tube videos with his best friend Elliott. But when middle school starts, Elliott aligns himself with the school bully and helps torment David. A new girl in school and his film-making talent help ease the
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pain. Show Less
LibraryThing member mrcmyoung
David is having a tough time starting middle school. His best friend has joined forces against him with the school bully, he's having trouble making friends with anyone except the girl in his accelerated math class, and his mom skipped town with a beet-farmer, leaving David to adjust to a new
Gephart creates well-developed characters and a convincing portrayal of adolescent angst.
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family dynamic with his father, sister and grandma. As unpopular as he is at school, the internet videos he posts featuring his pet hamster and his sister's daily acne forecast have made him an online sensation. If only he had this many fans in real life.Gephart creates well-developed characters and a convincing portrayal of adolescent angst.
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LibraryThing member JTNguyen
David Greenberg is an eleven year old that dreams of becoming a TV superstar. He makes his own home videos, and little did he know, he was becoming famous. In between all of that, he had to deal with starting middle school, bullying, losing 1 1/2 best friends, and gaining a new friend. It is such a
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bittersweet story. Show Less
LibraryThing member mmgomez1
This is a funny novel that has a sad ending. The narrator is in 6th grade and it is very hard for him. He is faced to deal with issues like his bestbud becoming bestfriends with the school bully and the loss of his mother. He makes a new friend named Sophie and learns to develop some of his
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strengths and talents. Show Less
LibraryThing member mgiffin
This book is about a boy who is nervous about starting middle school. To make things worse his best friend betrays him and starts hanging out with the school bully, David feels so lonely at school. David gets bullied at school and the only thing that makes him happy are his Talk Time videos, his
This book talks about all the troubles kids face, parents leaving, a pet dying,and getting bullied.
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friend sophie, and his hamster Hammie. David loves making TalkTime videos and soon after his videos became famous, with millions of people watching them all over the world. This book talks about all the troubles kids face, parents leaving, a pet dying,and getting bullied.
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LibraryThing member agrudzien
David Greenberg is starting middle school, and things are not quite the way he wanted them to be. His best friend has gone AWOL, his parents split apart two years ago and Mom is less and less normal and less and less communicative, and his teachers are less than pleased after some unfortunate
It was better than I thought it would be...but still WAY too much pre-teen angst for me. I suppose pre-teens with their own angst will enjoy it :) Classic coming of age story, but much more up-to-date.
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choices. The only thing David really has going for him is his webcast and his new friend Sophie. Through both he becomes an internet sensation, but still has to deal with the drugery of being a nobody at school. It was better than I thought it would be...but still WAY too much pre-teen angst for me. I suppose pre-teens with their own angst will enjoy it :) Classic coming of age story, but much more up-to-date.
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LibraryThing member vwhitt
Meet David Greenberg, rising star and middle schooler. This sixth grade student is facing a lot this year. His mom lives with a beet farmer in a faraway land, he’s in a huge fight with his best friend, a bully is using his as target practice, his pet dies, he gets his first crush, and he’s
Details: This book was written to interest children in grades 5-8 and is on a 4.6 reading level.
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famous. Fame came for David through YouTube. He likes to make funny videos of himself interviewing magazine covers and making lists such as how to survive middle school. The more newspapers notice him, so does the school bully. David is a good Jewish boy that doesn’t want to cause any trouble, but this bully won’t leave him alone. It all comes to a head when his best friend, Elliot changes forces and begins hanging out with the bully. Eventually everything works out for David. He gets his friend back, his sister and mom rekindled their relationship, dad moved on from mom, and his idol, Jon Stewart, featured one of his videos on his show. Details: This book was written to interest children in grades 5-8 and is on a 4.6 reading level.
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LibraryThing member lindap69
humor in middle school, beats the angst!
LibraryThing member librarian1204
Great for middle school. Good characters. Story moves along.
LibraryThing member celesteporche
From the looks of the cover, I thought this book would be funny, but it's not. It's filled with some really intense emotions and a lot of issues that are pretty realistic and believable. The main character, David, is a kid that's just starting middle school, and dealing with the fact that his mom
David is a Youtuber...he and Elliot used to make videos together, but they never got many views, comments or likes. David dreams of hosting a real comedy talk show, like his idol John Stewart. A shake-up in his routine brings him more views than usual, and things start to snowball.
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left the family to live out a ridiculously selfish fantasy life with some organic farmer in another part of the country. Meanwhile, David's best friend, Elliot, won't talk to him because of a fight they a few days before school starts. They were supposed to figure out middle school together, but instead, Elliot is hanging out with their long time worst enemy, who's a typical meat-head bully.David is a Youtuber...he and Elliot used to make videos together, but they never got many views, comments or likes. David dreams of hosting a real comedy talk show, like his idol John Stewart. A shake-up in his routine brings him more views than usual, and things start to snowball.
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LibraryThing member MrsBarbarino
David Greenberg plans to be the next Jon Stewart but he first has to figure out how to survive Harman Middle School.
David produces his own show TalkTime and posts the videos on YouTube. His best friend Elliott used to help him with the show, but they had a falling out. Now David has to figure out a
6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!)
5. His best friend gone girl-crazy
4. A runaway mom who has no phone!
3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday
2. A terrifying cousin
1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother)
1/2. And Hammy, the hamster who’s determined to break David’s heart
David makes a new friend, the peppermint-smelling Sophie, while dealing with all of his issues. She loves David’s videos and shares them with a few friends, who share them with a few more friends. Before David knows it, TalkTime has gone viral and David is an internet superstar! You’d think he’d be thrilled, but instead he finds himself asking “What good does it to be famous online when in real life, I go to a school where all I am is ‘Lameberg’?”
Read How to Survive Middle School, and then join us at the January meeting of Cover2Cover to talk about the book and balancing an online life with a real life.
David produces his own show TalkTime and posts the videos on YouTube. His best friend Elliott used to help him with the show, but they had a falling out. Now David has to figure out a
Show More
way to deal with: 6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!)
5. His best friend gone girl-crazy
4. A runaway mom who has no phone!
3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday
2. A terrifying cousin
1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother)
1/2. And Hammy, the hamster who’s determined to break David’s heart
David makes a new friend, the peppermint-smelling Sophie, while dealing with all of his issues. She loves David’s videos and shares them with a few friends, who share them with a few more friends. Before David knows it, TalkTime has gone viral and David is an internet superstar! You’d think he’d be thrilled, but instead he finds himself asking “What good does it to be famous online when in real life, I go to a school where all I am is ‘Lameberg’?”
Read How to Survive Middle School, and then join us at the January meeting of Cover2Cover to talk about the book and balancing an online life with a real life.
Show Less
LibraryThing member decaturmamaof2
We loved reading this with our 10 yr old. great story, very engaging, and not treacly
LibraryThing member wrightja2000
Liked it and would have given four stars except for falling into a pet peeve of mine where the bullied person bullies the bully (or threatens to) in the resolution.
ISBN
0606234241 / 9780606234245