Rating: 
Summary: best book ever
Review: A group of kids call themselves the "Gang of Five"
Bobby-kind of a heavy kid
Skeezie-50's like
Joe-very femine
Addie-a really smart girl
They band together to run for student council. They will be known first as the Freedom Party then the No-Name Party.
Bobby, the narrator, learns alot in this story. Things like why his boss is so mean to him, how much courage does he really have , and who wrote the secret note. It is a very enjoyable book and anyone who reads it will love it.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read Book...
Review: A Must Read Book? This book is great; it tells about this group of friends who don?t fit in. That?s mostly why the title is called, ?The Misfits?. They are just like a normal group of friends who want to fit in. One character in this book decides to not recite the Pledge of Allegiance with the class. It ends up that she gets in trouble and gets sent down to the counselor to have a little talk. Another character is the class clown and gets in trouble because he makes rude comments about the character whom gets in trouble because she doesn?t recite the Pledge of Alliance. The group of friends goes to a restaurant and they debate about stuff at school and other stuff like politics, etc. This group of friends are best buds and change their nicknames more often than their shoes. I must give this book five stars because it is the best book I?ve ever read in my life!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book For Teens
Review: Author James Howe who is author of more than 70 books for young readers has written a fast, funny, tender story called the "The Misfits". The book "The Misfits" mainly focuses on four friends, all of whom who are different in one way or an other, however they are comfortable with who they are. The four characters include Bobby Goodspeed(narrator in story) who is disliked seeming he is overweight due to his moms death, Joe Bunch who is disliked seeming he is too creative, girly and gay, Skeezie(don't know real name) who is disliked for dressing like a hooligan and Addie who is disliked due to being very tall and being a know it all. A school election is then coming up which gives them a chance to show how funny, clever and complex they really are, however, their aim in the story isn'y neccesarily to win the election, their aim is to stop name calling seeming they have been called atleast 70 names(adding up all the names by each misfit). This book is great its very realistic, and its very easy to relate to the characters in the book and i like it how eash misfit has their own problem and i also like it how while they are misfits, they are also very different from each other. The Writer James Howe also describes the characters in the book very well, i also like it how in the book he gets the characters to have conversations, and the way he wrote each characters sentences in the book during conversations is great, like the sentences Joe said were rather girly and went well with who he is(a girly person) and they way he wrote Tonni's(black girl, not really a main character) sentences were great and she sounded black aswell. I also really liked the main theme/message in the book which was "sticks and stones may break our bones but words will break our spirit". All in all, James Howe is a talented writer he has the ability to make you stuck and focused on reading this book and i recomend this book to teens who are either called names, or teens who call others names. Hope this helped.
Rating: 
Summary: Three cheers for the No-Name Party!
Review: Best friends Bobby Goodspeed, Addie Carle, Joe Bunch, and Skeezie Tookis-often referred to as Fatso, Beanpole, Fairy, and Loser by other students at Paintbrush Falls Middle School-know that there's more to them than the name-callers realize. Tired of being invisible and disrespected, they decide to shake up the social rules of middle school and seek to put an end to the hurtful practice, not just for themselves, but also for the good of the student body. The novel, told in the present tense and first person narrative by Bobby, details their crusade to win the school election as the No-Name Party, while fretting about love and crushes, mean bosses, and cold fries along the way. As a narrator, Bobby makes witty observations about himself and other people around him, and brings to light some of the most humorous and most painful aspects of early adolescence. He and the Gang of Five-as he and his friends call themselves-are a likable cast of characters, demonstrating loyalty, a keen sense of humor, and level-headedness. The transcripts of their weekly Forums, held at the Candy Kitchen, will have the reader laughing out loud. The only shortcomings in the book are its frequent references to pop culture icons, such as RuPaul and Madonna, who may become forgotten within a few years, and the undecided nature of Bobby's voice. Although the use of the present tense suggests immediacy, Bobby's voice occasionally takes on the perspective of an adult looking back upon his adolescence. The epilogue is slightly confusing, leaving the reader wondering if these events have already come to pass, or if Bobby is merely making predictions. Otherwise, this novel is an excellent choice for middle school readers, with appeal for male and females alike.
Rating:
Summary: The Misfits
Review: Fatso, Dough Boy, Spaz, Roly-Poly...Fairy, Queer, Mutant, Tinkerbell...Greaser, Dummy, Freak, Scuz...Beanpole,
Big Mouth, Godzilla, Einstein... As four twelve-year-olds go through Middle School, you remember how much you just wanted to get through the seventh grade. Bobby Goodspeed, Joe Bunch, Skeezie Tookis, and Addie Carle were the same way, but it was harder than it looked. Going through the hallways of Paintbrush Falls Middle School getting called names was just a regular day for them. They each thought that they didn't belong; they were the outcasts, the weirdoes, and the ones who wanted to flee from their godforsaken hometown and forget about their pasts. So each one found each other, forming the Gang of Five, even though there were only four of them to keep people on their toes. The Misfits was a very intriguing book that I would suggest to anyone who would attempt to read it. You are drawn in and enthralled by the plot of four "misfits" trying to fit into their middle school and create a new political group, the No-Name Party. The new group would help the students in middle school get along better and relieve pressure on the ones who get called the worst names. They have each gone through a troubling childhood, getting called names from Nerdette to Twinkletoes and from Blubber to Hooligan. From the beginning of their story to the end, you get attached to Bobby, a "fluffy" boy who thinks he is fat that works selling ties, Joe, the one who is a little too feminine and who only paints his pinky, Skeezie, a boy that never washes himself and chews with his mouth open, and Addie, the tall smart one that gets on almost everyone's nerves. No matter what they look like or how they act, you listen to their realistic problems, like boyfriends and girlfriends, not getting the rights each and every seventh grader deserves, and their peers, flinching at every nickname they are called. James Howe keeps you on your toes and on the edge of your seat with every conflict with Ms Wyman, and her tearing your liver out, and each vote that would make the No-Name Party the winning one, no matter what the definition of "winning" you have. I would recommend this book to anyone who would learn that making friends is more fun than name-calling. I really enjoyed this book, and I think that it would benefit everyone who read it, whether a bully, popular student, or a "misfit." I give this book five stars for it's colorful, yet understandable plot that brought a smile to my face and a twinge in my heart. With every new character and personality, you understand how each Misfit was torn down inside with a name that would stick to them for the rest of their lives, because as their slogan says, "sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit." Pork Chop, Lardo, Fluff, Geek...Girl, Wimp, Josephine, Nerd...Slimeball, Grease ball, Dork...Show-off, Know-it-all, Nerdette
Rating:
Summary: A must read for all young adults and teachers
Review: Have you ever been called a name? I'll bet you didn't like it. It's not fun being made fun of or being labeled. Most of us are much more complex than a single name or label can say. The characters in this book are 4 friends who sit down one day and make a list of all the names they have been called by their classmates. When they are done the list totals over 50 names. Instead of sulking, being depressed, or becoming violent, these kids decide to fight back in a logical and peaceful way. They run for Student Council on a "No Name Calling" platform. This book will make you laugh, cry, and feel everything in between.
Rating:
Summary: Zak's Review
Review: I gave this book only 3 stars because number of reasons. The first reason is I think characters in the book didn't match their behavior. They are in 7th grade but the behave like they are in high school. Secondly I think had some good pointes like the "NO NAME PARTY" and how the four kids have to go to school each day knowing that they will be insulted in some kind of way. I felt a bit sad when reading the book knowing how they can handle their typical school day walking though class and getting fun off. Some of the characters in the book mad fell a little surprise. As I was reading the book I found out that every one of the kids that got fun off has something wrong with them or their behavior: one is fat, one is Gay, one is just weird and one is just very smart. Because they where called names all the time, they became the bottom of society in the 7th grade. Even though this book contains some misfits kids I really think it represent a lot of middle scholars all over the world.
The book written as if the writer is one of the characters, Bobby, a 12-year old boy that is described to be fat, witch made the whole book very intrusting in his point of view. I think this book is good for all ages although i think the older you are the less you might imagine yourself as one of the characters in the book. I think that because I am not there age I did really understand their frustration of the 4 kids in the book, even though I liked it.
Rating: 
Summary: What I thought of my book.
Review: I liked this book and I enjoyed reading it, eventhough some of the characters were younger than me and I can't relate to them as much. I liked this book because it shows how true friends help each other out and how to have good communication. It also teaches you that teasing others is not fun at all and it can be hurtfull to people. It hurts wether you are joking or playing around. You can also learn that you can make friends easily by not even trying but most importantly not to forget the ones you already have. I didn't like the way the author ended the book it didn't end as I thought. What I did like is that it tells you what happened to the characters over the years and who they became. The introduction caught my eye because the main character describes his friends and personalities in one chapter. The story elements I thought were the most vivid were the author described each characters personality, feelings, image, and what they said or acted. You can almost see and comprehend the characters. Another element I liked was the characters conflicts. Their conflicts they each have are realistic ones such as with teachers, family, frinds, e.t.c. They have problems that make you appreciate the things you have.
Rating:
Summary: Misfits ROCK!
Review: I read The Misfits just last month, and I can't stop raving about it! I love the way that everyone can relate to at least one of the characters in this story. I found it easiest to relate to Bobby, because I am overweight myself, and I get teased a lot about it. Though I am only in 8th grade, I can understand the storyline, and find this incredible book to be a real inspiration to the world. It made me want to take back every name I ever called a kid. James Howe, I think this is your best work yet!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Stick and Stones and Name-Calling
Review: I remember the childhood chant and trying to convince
myself and others that name-calling really didn't hurt,
but, of course, it does. This book explores a lot about
that topic, but it is basically the story of some "mis-fit"
friends who stick together, even though they are very
different from each other. It is, in the end, the characters who make the book. The
premise is rather familiar - outcasts band together to try
to conquer the world. They gain self-acceptance, if not
popularity with their peers. But the appealing part of
this story are the people themselves. Each person could
easily be a stereotype, but instead they are given more
depth and quirky characteristics that make them seem more
human, real, and interesting. There are some inconsistencies, in the book, as in life.
The very kids who are campaigning against name-calling
participate in name-calling themselves. I believe it is
purposefully included by the author to illustrate how
ingrained, and sometimes not really harmful name-calling
can be. There is a fine distinction between friendly
teasing and less friendly put-downs. Where do you draw
the line? I rarely give 5 star ratings to any book, and I didn't
for this one, but it is still an interesting and worthwhile
story to read.
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