I got this book yesterday, read it in one night and I might have to read it again today!!!! I'm just starting 8th grade and even though my 7th grade wasn't as dramatic (or funny) as Hannah's, Jake's, Dorothy's or Danny's - I can tell you this book CAPTURES THE TRUTH OF JUNIOR HIGH like none other!! I can't believe how much Trash Can Days gets it right. It can be a really scary time, and this book doesn't cut around any of that - but the scary is balanced with hilarity and sweetness. Jake is the sweetest boy, even when he's a jerk. All you have to do is read his Bar Mitzvah speech or see his major heroics at the end, and despite his high voice and lack of pubes, you get that he's become a man. His hot sister Hannah is the queen of her school, super-smart, awesome blogger, dating a hot guy - she runs the place. But she's totally humanized in a bathroom incident, and she learns what it's like to be the rest of us and use her power for goodness. Dorothy Wu is the best! She's the coolest kind of weirdo - the kind who doesn't care. She writes hilarious fan-fic stories that mirror her own real life - she's a Mermaid fighting the evil sea-god Poseidon and Jake is her hero Jacobim (Hi, Derek Zoolander!!!). Also, she brushes her hair 151 times a day - one for each Pokemon. OMG I love this girl so much!!!! And finally, we have Danny who starts out as Jake's bff, but since having a major growth spurt over the summer, he enters 7th grade with status and becomes Hannah's new "friend" (spoiler!). Then - and this is the shock of the book - we see how he gets pulled into gang life and what happens because of that. That's the amazing thing about this book - you see exactly how and why everything happens - and totally sympathize, because stuff TOTALLY happens to everyone (at least everyone I know) in 7th grade!!! Everyone changes, and you never know who it's going to be or how they're going to change - when it's going to be funny, or sad, or seriously scary. Just like real life. I hope 8th grade turns out to be a little more stable, but if it's more of the same, I'll just read this book again to remind me that it's the same for Dorothy, Jake, Hannah and Danny - and all the other great characters in this book. Thank you, Teddy Steinkellner, for writing this!!!!!!!
Trash Can Days: A Middle School Saga (A Trash Can Days)
By Teddy Steinkellner
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 5 - 9 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Jake Schwartz is not looking forward to middle school. Puberty feels light years away, he's not keen on the cool clothes or lingo, and he has the added pressure of preparing for his bar mitzvah. The only saving grace is that Danny Uribe, his lifelong best friend, will be by his side....
Or will he? Since Danny's summer growth spurt, there's been a growing distance between him and Jake. Danny is excited to explore all that junior high has to offer--especially the girls (and most notably Hannah, Jake's older sister). But gang life has its allure, and he soon finds himself in over his head.
Meanwhile, Hannah is dealing with her own problems; being Queen Bee is not easy. The other girls are out for blood, and boys are so...exhausting. Danny surprises her with his maturity, but can her reputation survive if she's linked to a sevvy? And what would Jake think about his sister hooking up with his best friend?
Dorothy Wu could not care less about junior high drama. She is content staying in her bedroom and writing epic stories of her adventures as a warrior mermaid maiden. But that changes when she discovers the school's writing club. There, she meets a young lad with heroic potential and decides that life outside of her fantasy world just might have some appeal.
In the course of one year at San Paulo Junior High, these four lives will intersect in unique and hilarious ways. Friendships will grow and change. Reputations will transform. And someone will become a man.