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books about fitting in
Geeks
by Jon Katz
This is the true story of how "two lost boys rode the Internet out of Idaho."
I don't review nonfiction books here very often, but I fell in love with this
'Net-savvy writer's story of two real teens who accept their "geekiness" and use
it to get the hell out of a dead-end town. This is a story of aching alienation, of
how high school can suck the life out of smart, "unusual" kids. It's also a story
about the courage it takes to embrace our quirks fiercely enough in order
to create/find futures that truly sustain us. Jesse and Eric were restless,
19-year-old geeks in Caldwell, Idaho, when they read a piece that Katz wrote
about "geeks" for Hotwired. The piece resonated so strongly
that Jesse wrote to the author, and an unusual relationship developed between
Katz and the boys. Tender. Riveting (I devoured the book in a morning, without
coffee... I couldn't tear myself away from the story long enough to fire
up the kettle). I love how Katz wrestles with
his journalistic integrity as his friendship with the boys grows. He sees
long misunderstood parts of himself in Jesse -- a grit, a defiance, a vulnerability,
a passion for justice, a boundless curiousity -- and invites us all into his
private transformation as he recounts Jesse's tremendously troubled (yet hopeful!)
coming-of-age.
Lizard
by Dennis Covington
Ever feel like a freak? Well, then you'll probably be able to
relate to Lucius Sims. He sort of looks like a reptile, and
everyone calls him "Lizard" and treats him like an alien because
he's different. In fact, they put him in a home for retarded boys
even though no one's ever proven he has a handicap. Lucius has it
down, though, and you better hang on tight when he heads out on a
madcap adventure in search of freedom. Covington, a tremendous
writer, won the 1991 Delacorte Prize for this book -- a prize given
to outstanding first ventures in Young Adult fiction.
Slot Machine
by Chris Lynch
Poor Elvin... it's tough being a fat guy at summer camp, especially when this camp is
a sports boot camp in disguise. At St. Paul's Seminary Retreat Center, every boy has
a slot for the summer: basketball, golf, wrestling, baseball, football. Elvin,
unfortunately, doesn't fit into any slot. He knows this in advance and tells the
camp directors that he is "unslottable." Even more unfortunately, the camp directors
scoff at him. "Of course, there's a slot for you! We just have to find it," they say.
And that's when the fun begins. Elvin is a cranky,
wise-cracking square peg with a heart of gold in a sea of round holes. Who says
novels about not fitting in need to be sad and full of angst? Elvin is a riot!
I dare you to read Slot Machine
without laughing out loud!
The Planet of Junior Brown
by Virginia Hamilton
Although this one was published in 1971, its classic theme still packs a wallop.
It's about a 300-pound musical prodigy with his head in the clouds and the homeless
kid he befriends. It's about the worlds they create together in a secret cellar
beneath the school, and it's about what happens when reality crashes in.
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