Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction Publication Date: March 1, 2020 Pages: 214 Format: ePub Goodreads & Storygraph Buy on: Amazon
Meet Phillip. His mom relocates him to a new school in the middle of the school year.
Things do not go well. Phillip lands himself a trip to the dean of student’s office when he tries to forge his mother’s signature. Maybe if he spelled her name correctly it would have gone better.
Phillip also finds himself having more and more anxiety. And the song some bullies are singing is certainly not helping:
Phillip Willip, Puddin and Pie.
Got a bad grade and made him cry.
There is one class Phillip has that is going well. It is with Mr. Filter, who starts each day with a writing prompt. These “jam sessions” allow students to be creative and enjoy writing. Phillip writes about being a basketball on a soccer field. Another day he writes about receiving two dragon eggs in the mail, one for himself and one for a particularly cute girl.
But will Phillip ever be able to make his real life go as well as his Jam Sessions?
I received a review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I really enjoyed this book and I think that if you have a kid in your life struggling with bullies and anxiety, this is a really excellent read. It is also a very good reminder, as a parent, that if your kiddo is struggling with other students or with anxiety, teachers are excellent resources of positive reinforcement, which is clearly that Phillip needed. But also, if your struggling kiddo has a good teacher in their life, be sure to help them nurture that relationship because it will make all the difference! I was fairly lucky to have met my own Mr. Filter in many forms of awesome teachers throughout my life. School was especially hard for me. I could not read until grade 5. Yep. The teacher who taught me how to read spent all of grade 4 and 5 doing so, and she still to this day says, "it was like a lightbulb finally turned on in Leticia and has never shut off." She is very correct. Also, yes, we still talk to this day. I've a couple of other teachers whom I am in contact with on and off because of the impact they made in my life. This is when you know you're a good teacher, when your former students still want you around long after you made that positive impact.
Rating
Jerry Harwood teaches Middle School English and in a former life worked as a clinic director for a counseling center as well as a Camp Director. He loves seeing young people find their reading "channel." He writes Middle Grade and Young Adult while he drinks Cherry Coke Zero and listens to 80's rock. He has served on the Chattanooga Writer's Guild as a board member, is the Track Coordinator for ConNooga, and a prestigious member of the writing group, Crazy Buffet.
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