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The Schwa Was Here
- By Neal Shusterman
- Genre: Friendship
Common Sense Media says
Going unnoticed isn't always fun.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this is a borderline-fantasy take on a real problem: Young adolescents who feel invisible, unnoticed.
What's the story?
Calvin Schwa is one of those kids who doesn't get noticed, even when he's standing in the middle of the boy's bathroom singing "God Bless America" while wearing an orange sombrero and a cat costume. When Antsy Bonano does finally notice him, the decide to test the "Schwa Effect," then to make some money from it. They go one dare too far, however, and end up doing penance to a crabby, rich old man with a beautiful blind granddaughter.
Fun aside, though, not being noticed can be tough, especially for the Schwa, whose mother disappeared when he was five and whose father seems to be out in space most of the time. As Antsy learns more about the Schwa's miserable life, he's determined to be the one who notices. But the Schwa has something more dramatic in mind.
Is it any good?
Neal Shusterman has a unique imagination, which can make his books hard to describe. This one skirts the edge of fantasy, sometimes perhaps sticking a toe over the line. The form is a sort-of legend, reminiscent of Maniac Magee, but the voice is a not-totally-consistent but often wicked Brooklyn smart-alec. The combination is fluidly readable, unpredictable, and poignantly funny.
The chapter titles give a pretty good idea of the mood of the book: "Manny Bullpucky Gets his Sorry Butt Hurled off the Marine Park Bridge," "Which is Worse: Getting Mauled by a Pack of Dogs or Getting Your Brains Bashed out by a Steel Poker?" and so on. But there's also a lot to think about and talk about here, most notably the whole Schwa Effect -- it may be a comic exaggeration, but it's all too real for many tweens.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about self-image.
How much of our self-image comes from the image others have of us?
How can someone go through life unnoticed?
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Kid, 12 years old
July 4, 2009
AGE
Really good!!!!
I really enjoyed this but I think it is better for older kids. The kids are sneaking out at night, a man calls an Italian a 'dumb guinea', a company cheats a boy by selling him billboard space over a closed road, even though it is for half price, after that boy had made a false fan website so the company would sell him billboard space. I think the book is more for boys than girls, but there are girls in it. There is some language but the author puts in substitute words.
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AGE
Great Book
This year, in my English class, I had the pleasure of being forced to read, "The Schwa Was Here". It was a cute work of fiction, and did give me a bit to think about. It is not at all off-color; nothing to worry about here. "The Schwa Was Here" was a funny and memorable book, of course I'm probably not going to remember it for much longer. :)
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AGE
Not funny, actually, rather depressing.
For the whimsical chapter titles, this is a majorly depressing story. A kid has dreams, and really doesn't acheive them. His father neglects him. His mother ran away. It didn't make me come away with a feeling of happiness, despite a (spoiler) happy ending, it just makes me depressed. The author succeeds masterfully witht he characters, but I think he missed his intent.
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AGE
Perfect for the whoe family
It was a very good book
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AGE
Must read book for every 13 year old
It was very good
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AGE
Matt Berman Got It Wrong!
Matt Berman's review does not do this book justice. The Schwa was Here is a satisfying, humorous story with typical middle-school characters. It is a tale of friendship that develops among three intertwining characters: Antsy the main character, "invisible" Calvin Schwa, and Lexie, the romantic interest who is also in her own way "invisible." Middle school students will identify with the engaging, well-drawn characters. This book received accolades from School Library Journal (starred review) as well as from The Horn Magazine.
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AGE
Very Very Sad!
I love the Sc- wait what was I saying?
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AGE
Interesting
An interesting book which brings several new perspectives to the literary world. Abundant in humor, so much in fact I got in trouble several times for laughing in class. I highly suggest it to the school library for 7th-12th graders.
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| Author: | Neal Shusterman |
| Book type: | Fiction |
| Genre: | Friendship |
| Publisher: | Dutton Children's Books |
| Publication date: | October 18, 2004 |
| Number of pages: | 228 |
| Hardcover price: | $16.99 |
| Publisher's recommended age(s): | 11 - 14 |
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