Thought for the Day:
“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.”
~ Mark Twain ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
Humor makes almost any piece of writing better. The post HERE from Writer’s Rumpus by Paul Czajak will help you add humor in your writing.
I always appreciate good writing exercises. HERE is a post from The Story Journey from Alicia Rasley with exercises that will help you deepen your point of view.
Backstory is important but tricky to get in. Margie Lawson has a great post HERE on Writers in the Storm about how to do it well. She has great examples.
Now and then I receive an email from a publisher or publicist offering me ARCs of books. It’s always fun to look through their offerings and pick a few free books for review. I received an email from Candlewick Press a while back. I love to hear from them because they only publish books for young people, and there are always a few that interest me. One of the books I chose is the book I will review for you tonight, Speechless by Adam P. Schmitt. I simply loved it.
Thirteen-year-old Jimmy is not having a very good day. He is stuffed into a pair of pants that fit fine a year ago, but boys this age tend to grow, and Jimmy is no exception. His pants button is holding on by a thread. Seriously. A thread. And his parents have just told Jimmy he will be expected to speak at his cousin’s funeral the next day. Speak. In front of everyone. All he has to do is say something nice, tell a fun story, about his cousin, Patrick. But there weren’t any fun stories. Patrick had been, shall we say, difficult. No, let’s not say that. Let’s say what he really was — a mean, selfish, bully who ruined every good thing Jimmy had ever had. They never had been close, but they had been thrown together at every turn. Their mothers are twin sisters, and Patrick’s mother often needed a break from her obstreperous son. Jimmy usually had to entertain Patrick during those breaks. Patrick’s parents were too distraught to make the speech, and they wanted Jimmy to do it. All through the day at the wake, Jimmy wracks his brain, trying to come up with one good memory he can use for his speech, and all the while he is hoping to keep his pants on.
It’s hard to describe just how funny and sweet this book really is. Jimmy is a terrific kid and his voice, telling the story in first person, is pitch perfect for a 13-year-old boy. The characters are completely believable, and Jimmy’s relatives are people we all might have known in our own families. Patrick is a real jerk, but Jimmy has another cousin, sweet Sophia, Patrick’s little sister, who is about 8 and quite deaf, but her parents refuse to accept that fact and have never learned sign language. She has a tough life, but Patrick had a way with her that made things a bit easier for her. Jimmy also has a soft spot in his heart for her. Other odd relatives — aunts, uncles, grandparents, and more — show up and make things interesting and remind Jimmy of stories about Patrick. But choosing the right thing to say propels this story forward to a surprising and wonderful conclusion.
Author Adam P. Schmitt has written a terrific debut middle-grade novel. The writing is sharp and the humor is almost always present. You will fall in love with these characters and be disappointed when the story ends and you have to leave them behind. This one deserves very wide readership well beyond the bounds of middle grades. Clear some time when you get your hands on this one. It’s very hard to put down once you get started.
I have a gently-read ARC for one of you. All you need do is be a follower or subscriber (it’s free!), have a U.S. address, and leave a comment below. If you would like extra chances, please share the link to this post on Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media outlet and let me know you have done that. If you are reading this in your email, please click HERE to get to my blog, then click on the title of the post, and leave a comment. And don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at the Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
Rosi Hollinbeck 
Fab post! I’ve added this book to my TBR list 🙂
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I think you will really like it. I wish I could enter you in the drawing, but I just can’t mail books to Wales. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
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I love your thought for the day. Sounds like a touching yet humorous book. Added to my TBR list! Thanks for the review.
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Love the title. It must be a good book if it can be funny with that topic. Would read it just to see what he said at the funeral. Great choice!
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You would never guess in a million years what he says! It’s such a good book. Maybe you will win. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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What a great idea for a story. I’ll be reading this one for sure. The voice sounds like it is spot on and will appeal to both boys and girls. I liked the cover, too. Your links look great but I will be saving them for later in the day–possibly lunchtime. Thanks for the post.
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It is such an original concept. You will love this book, I promise. Thanks for the comment and good luck in the drawing.
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Count me in! Sounds like a cool boy book.
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You’re in. It’s a cool everyone book. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck in the drawing.
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It sounds hysterical, and at the same time horrendous. What a position to be in! I can’t wait to see how he solves this.
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It’s a bit of a roller coaster ride. Thanks for the comment. Good luck in the drawing.
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This sounds like a really deep exploration of human emotions.
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It certainly does explore some emotions. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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Thanks for introducing us to this debut middle grade book. I love reading books with humor, especially for mentor text. I think the premise is excellent and it’s great to find a boy’s POV story. I shared on twitter, pinterest, tumblr, and google+ because this will be an exciting addition to my debut author challenge,.
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You’re welcome. It is a great premise. Thanks for sharing my link. Good luck in the drawing.
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Ooo, I need that link on adding humor. Thank you! And I hadn’t heard of this book before, so thanks for bringing it to our attention. I’m impressed that it’s about death and a funeral but it’s funny!
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I think humor is so hard to write. It’s a good post. The book is a great lesson in using humor in a serious kid’s book. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck in the drawing.
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I enjoyed the Mark Twain quotation at the beginning of this post. Thanks for sharing it and this book with us for MMGM.
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Ah, yes, Mark Twain knew what he was talking about. Thanks for commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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I skimmed your review, because I also received the same ARC from Candlewick. Read your synopsis. I love the idea of a kid having to speak at a wake. Sounds entertaining. Look forward to reading it. Won’t review it right away. So, don’t enter me in your giveaway.
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You will love the book when you get to it. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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This looks like one of those darkly funny books that I love. Putting on my reading list!
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Thanks for the comment, Sue. Nice to see you here. This is indeed a darkly funny book. You will like it. Good luck in the drawing.
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Awesome…I haven’t had a book recommended by you since I was in your English class in IHS 😊. I would love to win
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Awww. Thanks, Linda. How nice to see you here. Good luck in the drawing. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. You could subscribe too!
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I love humorous books, and this one sounds great. Great story problem! Like Natalie, I would like to know what he finally says at the funeral.
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This is a really funny book with such a great concept. What he says is amazing. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Good luck in the drawing.
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