The Misfits

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Summary: Not a Misfit but still loved the book Misfits
Review: I think The Misfits is a very good book to read! I'm in high school and I see misfits everyday and also I see people being mean to the misfits. Back to the book. I have not yet finish it yet ,but I love reading it so far I have read that there is a group of kids and their group name is The misfits and all of them are different.And everyone is mean to them like at my school. I think it is good that they all hang out together!! This is a must READ BOOK!!

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Summary: Stick's and stones may break our bones
Review: I thought the book at first was awesome but after finishing the book it sounded a little too predictable and i would recommended this book for grades 5-9 and remember stick's and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit.If you are wondering what is the story about it is about: These students who didn't fit their school and made their own group called
"THE MISFITS".

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Summary: The Misfits, by a misfit
Review: In this book, Bobby, Addie, Joe, and Skeezie, also known as the Gang of Five, though there are only four of them, decide to create a third party to run in the student government election. Well, actually Addie decides this, and the rest go along. However, Addie's idea for a Freedom Party to represent minorities doesn't succeed, so when they're trying to come up with a new platform, Bobby has his epiphany. Blacks and Orientals and such aren't the minority, THEY are. Misfits like them are. So they come up with a new platform- they are going to end name calling once and for all. I enjoyed this book because it was very funny, but I thought it was somewhat unrealistic, because in the book, their platform and purpose has a lasting effect on the kids at school, and in reality, they'd become spitball targets. Overall, though, this book was great, and I would recommend it to anyone who was ever excluded or made fun of. That is to say, everybody.

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Summary: I'm a Misfit
Review: It may surprise anyone who reads this book that gay characters were included. Most of my classmates who read this book thought it was wrong and disgusting for the author to do this. But all it does is make the book have a truer meaning. Because the character Joe was gay, he was ridiculed by the others in his school. That is why it was an important reason why the No-Name Party was established. He puts a base to the book, and brings out the authors whole meaning. This was a great book, and teaches all children and even adults that "Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit." from The Misfits

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Summary: Minorities vs. Majority.
Review: James Howe, a brilliant writer who expresses his true creativity in this book, The Misfits. He explains the lives of four misfits who have grown up with being called names. They all stick together and call themselves the Gang of Five even though there are only four of them! Now they are tired of it and they are all going to run in the 7th grade student council elections. Addie Carle running for president has been called many, many names do to her extreme height: beanpole, skyscraper, Godzilla etc... Her mind is all about politics and will fight for what she believes in. Joe Bunch is running for vice president. He has it the hardest and has been called the most names out of the Gang of Five because he has been called fairy, queer, tinker bell etc.... Joe is in fact gay and the kids in school don't let him forget it. Skeezie Tookis is running for secretary and he isn't the "cleanest" person. Mr. Howe describes him eating doesn't sound pleasurable and he dresses like a bum. Skeezie has been called Ree-tard, Guinea, Greaser etc... Bobby Goodspeed who is the narrator of this book was the one who thought of putting a stop to the name calling, he learns that with teamwork and believing in yourself anything can happen even the unimaginable. He discovers that beneath his boss Mr. Kellerman he isn't really a "killer man" that he actually does have some heart. Bobby has been called fat boy, blubber, fluff (b/c of his fluff sandwich) etc... The Gang of Five sticks together through the election and after, they touch others hearts who have been called names and those who call others names. Howe expressed his true feelings about name-calling and it is a great and most valuable read, suggested for ages 10+.

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Summary: James Howe's Gift to Middle School
Review: Known best for his Bunnicula series, James Howe breaks out from that mold and ventures forth with one of the best books written this year, "The Misfits".

Both touching, cutting edge, real and gutsy, the Misfits in the title are a band of four friends, each one with a trait that society unfairly and immediately judges them on: being too tall, too fat, too gay, too greasy, and all of them too smart for their peers.. : ) The kids band together for survival, security, and to experience something they all yearn for: acceptance.

The story, compelled by the characters needs, is about a schoolwide election, and how the students are forced to join the Democrats or Republicans. Of course, they don't quite fit in either group, and decide to form their own party: initially "the Freedom Party" and then, more appropriately, "The No-Name Party". What follows is stunning, inspirational, heartbreaking, and guaranteed to provoke thought.

The story is written in a very interesting way. Partially prose, partially "minutes" which read like a play, it moves the story along to give a true sense of these kids, and they become very real as we hear their voices. One side plot involving a manager of the tie department didn't quite work, but the story more than compensates by offering us middle school intrigue with many twists and turns.

How many of us at one time or another that we could fit into that group. It's a shared feeling, and Howe brilliantly captures the agony of not fitting in, and the joy of finding a group to fit in with. After all, isn't that we all want?

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Summary: JINC's Children's Book Club
Review: Our group thought that this was a very entertaining book although it was slow at the beginning. However, we felt that all the funny parts made up for it. Also, the plot had many surprising twists and turns that led you to believe one thing would happen and the opposite did.

The author did a great job in describing the characters and giving them their personalities. The Gang of Five (actually four) are all misfits. They don't fit into any category. In many ways, each is an individual, but their personalities can be watered down to these: Bobby is chubby and has low self-esteem. Addie is tall and an individualist. Skeezie is a slob and is like John Travolta in "Grease." Joe is girlish. We liked how Bobby found his strength, how Joe didn't let things get to him, how Addie didn't mind being a smarty pants, and how Skeezie was outgoing and just hilarious.

This book was very realistic in many ways, but in some ways it wasn't. First of all, a twelve year old boy (Bobby) would never actually be hired as a salesman. Second, when the Gang of Five decided to run for office, something happens that in reality probably wouldn't.

Overall, this book is extremely well written and a great read. James Howe does a fantastic job writing this book and creating suspense. This was a very emotional book that we would recommend to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Are you feeling left out?
Review: The book The Misfits by James Howe was a great novel. It is about four seventh graders that are "misfits" or people who do not fit in. They have been called names their whole life and have finally stepped up and said something about it. Addie, the outspoken one thinks they should run for student counsel in their school against the most popular people to see if people will recognize them and listen to what they have to say. Bobby (fatso), Joe (fairy), Addie (Brains) and Skeezie (freak) stick together and stay in the election.
Their motto is: Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit. This group of four will do anything to stop name-calling at their school. They have been through enough name-calling they finally are making an effort to stop it. This book is great. The author's intention was to make you feel the way some people do. It proved that anyone can accomplish anything. If you feel like you are a "misfit" this would be a great book for you to read. It will give you courage to speak up for how you feel, just as they did in the book. Even if you have not been called names this book would be good because it leads you to how some people live their life and how hard it must be to have people making fun of you all the time.

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Summary: Mrs. Comforts review
Review: The book The Misfits by James Howe was a great young adult book. the books basic plot was about a school election one group running, the misfits, are the main characters. One is a rebel, the others are chubby, to smart and gay. They are all best friends and decide to run to support the other misfits in the school. The book has a satisfying surprise ending. Besides the book being funny it has a bit of puppy love and drama.

I would recommend this book for girls and boys in the jr. high. This book had a good theme which was, stick up for yourself and names don't matter they are just something to be called by. I would recommend this book. Though this book is fun to read it is not very changing and does not use high vocabulary.

Over all I think this book was great. James Howe did a great job making the characters act like seventh graders. The problems made me reminisce of the seventh grade. I highly recommend this book for a quick and easy read.

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Summary: The Misfits
Review: The Misfits Aladdin Paperbacks, 2003, 274 pp., $ 5.99
James Howe ISBN 0-689-83956-1

"These are our names: Bobby. Addie. Joe. Skeezie. These are our names. But they are only names. They don't tell you who we are."

This is a book is about the gang of five, but the gang of five has only four people in it. This is because they like to keep people on their toes. The main character is a middle school age tie salesman named Bobby.

The student council election is rolling around so the gang of five decides to run. First they run as the Freedom Party, because that does not succeed they run again as the no name party. Their belief is that no one should be called names. Here is their poster:
Vote for the NO-NAME PARTY-
End name-calling once and for all!
President...Addie Carle
Vice President...Joe Bunch
Treasurer...Bobby Goodspeed
Secretary...Skeezie Tookis

Sticks and Stones May Break Our Bones, But Names Will Break Our Spirit

I would recommend this book to age 9 to adult. I think that this was a great book. The writing was realistic so I could really get into the writing.

-Sequoyah M. King