 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin
Common Sense Media says
Funny, overweight, deaf -- the new kid is an unlikely hero.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this story about a deaf teen coping in a new school has some sexual content, including mentions of a teacher-student affair, a teen pregnancy, and a student who runs a website featuring pictures of scantily clad girls in his bedroom. Also, a bus driver is arrested and suspected of dealing pot and a teen boy is pushed to his death in a mine.
What's the story?
On a class field trip to a coal mine, the popular quarterback at Carbon High falls to his death. Not a great start to Will Halpin's first year in a mainstream school. After leaving the school for the deaf, Will finds himself still overweight, still deaf, and, despite a wonderfully sarcastic wit, now the least popular student in school. He feels invisible, seated off to the side like a "houseplant" in all of his classes so he can more easily read the lips of the teachers and the students. When he's befriended by the second least popular kid in school, they decide it's up to them to solve the mystery of the dead quarterback, Hardy Boys style.
Is it any good?
THE DARK DAYS OF HAMBURGER HALPIN is a great story about unpopular hero, Will Halpin. Will's deafness and weight make him a misfit in his new school, and any kid who's ever felt less-than-popular will relate to him. His gift for sarcasm and self-deprecating humor provide many laugh-out-loud scenes, and his courage when it comes to investigating and telling the truth about the quarterback's mysterious murder is inspiring. Will's experiences in both the school for the deaf and Carbon High give insight into deaf culture. Misfits of all kinds will love this book.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about discrimination. Will points out certain things that discriminate against the hearing-impaired in his school. Had you ever thought about those things? What other things could be seen as discrimination for people like Will?
Will says he identifies with the ghost in the history book because he's largely ignored and always on the periphery. What other books can you think of that highlight the quiet underdog? Are there more books about outgoing characters?
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