Totally Middle School: Tales of Friends, Family, and Fitting In

by Betsy Groban (Editor)

Overview

From literary masterminds Lois Lowry, Gary D. Schmidt, Linda Sue Park, Katherine Paterson, Karen Cushman, Gregory Maguire, and more comes a timeless and inspirational anthology about the sometimes-challenging, always-rewarding coming-of-age years: middle school.

With eleven short stories told in text messages, emails, formal letters, stories in verse, and even a mini graphic novel, Totally Middle School tackles a range of important subjects, from peer pressure, family issues, and cultural barriers to the unexpected saving grace of music, art, friendship, and reading.

Brimming with heart and humor, these poignant stories from bestselling and award-winning authors shine a light on the moments when everything is thrilling and terrifying at the same time--in a way it will never be again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781524772222
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	08/07/2018
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	192
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Betsy Groban grew up in a leafy (sometimes lethal) suburb outside New York City and is a graduate of Barnard College with a degree in English literature. She has always worked at the intersection of culture, commerce, and community--specifically in book publishing, public broadcasting, and arts advocacy. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has two grown daughters.

Read an Excerpt

 
9 Cedar Circle
 
Cedar Harbor, Maine 04993
 
May 19, 2017
 
 
 
Ms. Margaret Metcalf
 
John Glenn Middle School
 
Cedar Harbor, Maine 04993
 
 
 
Dear Ms. Metcalf:
 
I have just been informed that you are to be my English teacher when I enter Middle School next year.
 
As you can see, we learned in English this past year how to write a Business Letter. This is a Business Letter.
 
I understand that our class will be reading To Kill a Mockingbird in the fall semester. I don’t mind reading the book but I thought I would let you know that I have seen the movie two times. Boo Radley is my favorite character because he is badly misunderstood. I myself am often misunderstood so I know what that is like. I was badly misunderstood last December at a family gathering and I feel it may have affected my entire personality although I doubt I will become a recluse like Boo. For one thing, no one is going to leave me a house where I can live in seclusion, except possibly a rich uncle, but it is unlikely.
 
I am looking forward to Middle School and I hope that we will establish a satisfactory relationship next year. This is my Closing Paragraph and in it I am supposed to request some kind of action. I would like to request that you pay careful attention to the other letter I am going to write to you. It will be a Friendly Letter.
 
Yours truly,
 
Katherine Metcalf Anderson
 
Student
 
 

Editorial Reviews

06/04/2018
Featuring an eclectic mix of short stories from a number of beloved authors, this collection explores three topics—“Family,” “Friends and Fitting In,” and “Finding Yourself”—in a variety of formats, from poems to comic panels. Margarita Engle takes on the “dreaded/ dreadful/ deadline-looming/ first-in-my-lifetime/ Middle School/ Mixer,” while Katherine Paterson and granddaughter Jordan offer advice-laden Facetime and text exchanges between two cousins (“organize, organize, organize”). A David Wiesner comic visualizes finding one’s place in an intimidating new setting, and Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin’s story, told in part from a dog’s perspective, considers cross-species family life. The stories look at eras and cultural differences, as well, from Gary Schmidt’s searing story about a boy’s neighbor heading off to the Vietnam War, to Hena Khan’s present-day tale of a Pakistani immigrant connecting with her new classmates. The collection, “dedicated to middle schoolers everywhere” (“This, too, shall pass”), deals honestly and sensitively with this volatile time. Ages 9–12. Agent: Doe Coover, Doe Coover Agency. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Groban brings together literary powerhouses including Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, Linda Sue Park, Karen Cushman, Gary D. Schmidt, Gregory Maguire, and more. Each selection is followed by a short biography about the author, with interesting tidbits about their lives. Stories swing from heartrending to heartwarming. VERDICT: Readers will “totally” relate to the issues and perspectives presented in this well-curated collection.” — School Library Journal
 
"The collection, 'dedicated to middle schoolers everywhere’ ('This, too, shall pass'), deals honestly and sensitively with this volatile time.  — Publishers Weekly
 
"In 11 stories, Groban has compiled a collection for the 12-year-old in all of us from beloved authors such as Karen Cushman, David Wiesner, Margarita Engle, and Lois Lowry. In this ode to middle school, in all of its difficult and awkward glory, readers will get a glimpse into the adolescences of a diverse cast of characters with varying experiences, helping them see the world through someone else's eyes.” — Kirkus Reviews 

"The overall quality of the writing is quite good, and the stories are surprisingly varied in theme, tone, and point of view. With its hallway-locker-themed jacket, this book is an inviting choice for kids entering middle school and a good way of discovering writers they might enjoy." — Booklist 

From the Publisher

08/01/2018
Gr 5–8—Groban brings together literary powerhouses including Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson, Linda Sue Park, Karen Cushman, Gary D. Schmidt, Gregory Maguire, and more, with tales of friends, family, and fitting in while dealing with the universal middle school angsts. This anthology features a mix of formats: stories in verse, first-person narratives (including one by a dog), email and texts, and even a short graphic novel by Caldecott-winner David Wiesner. Many of the stories involve timeless middle school worries revolving around friends, homework, and family issues, while others grapple with thorny topics such as cultural bias and soldiers returning from the Vietnam War with PTSD. Each selection is followed by a short biography about the author, with interesting tidbits about their lives. Stories swing from heartrending to heartwarming. VERDICT Readers will "totally" relate to the issues and perspectives presented in this well-curated collection. A great purchase for upper elementary and middle school libraries.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

School Library Journal

2018-06-25
In 11 stories, editor Groban has compiled a collection for the 12-year-old in all of us from beloved authors such as Karen Cushman, David Wiesner, Margarita Engle, and Lois Lowry.In this ode to middle school, in all of its difficult and awkward glory, readers will get a glimpse into the adolescences of a diverse cast of characters with varying experiences, helping them see the world through someone else's eyes. With poetry, short stories, text message "conversations," and even a comic strip (some fictional and some based on the authors' real-life experiences), this collection tries to give its readers everything, with mixed results. Some stories, such as "How to Make S'mores," by Hena Khan, and "Dog People," by Linda Sue Park and Anna Dobbin (Park's daughter), really show how difficult and wonderful the middle school years can be, especially when we take a chance on something new. Too many others, however, feel ancillary to the theme; although they have characters of the right age, the point of the story has little or nothing to do with, well, middle school, which may puzzle readers lured by the title. "When She Whined in Her Sleep," by Gary D. Schmidt, for instance, is a good story, but it is more a lyrically wrought critique of war than an exploration of the middle school experience.A solid anthology for young readers, if somewhat lacking cohesion. (Anthology. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews