The Next Great Paulie Fink

Starred review from February 4, 2019
A wildly imaginative but never mean-spirited prankster, Paulie Fink was the life of Mitchell School. When he doesn’t appear on the first day of seventh grade, his classmates (called the “Originals,” since they are the school’s inaugural class) are bereft and largely ignore new-girl Caitlyn. Missing her old friends, play-by-the-rules Caitlyn scoffs at her classmates’ eccentricities and those of the easygoing school, located in an old Vermont mansion whose lawn boasts dilapidated statues of gods and where goats trim the overgrown soccer field. To “pull Paulie back to us,” the Originals stage a reality TV–style competition to “find someone to play the role of Paulie. Someone whose official job it is to make school... memorable,” and they recruit Caitlyn to concoct challenges that reflect Paulie’s spirit. Benjamin (The Thing About Jellyfish) adroitly fleshes out her witty premise—and Paulie’s charismatic personality—through Caitlyn’s narration, interviews with Originals and administrators, and reflections on the ancient Greek beliefs taught in class. Genuinely original, the novel offers thoughtful perspectives on friendship, accepting change, and the many rewarding guises of storytelling, as well as a fully gratifying ending that the characters don’t see coming. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from September 1, 2019

Gr 3-7-Caitlyn was apprehensive of moving to remote Mitchell, VT, and she doesn't feel any better about it on the first day of school. Classes at Mitchell School are held in a ramshackle, well-worn mansion and the Originals, her seventh grade classmates-all 10 of them-are given additional character-building responsibilities: lunchtime with kindergarteners and feeding the school goats. However, it is the absence of the Great Paulie Fink that causes chaotic ruckus among the Originals. Paulie's wildly imaginative, pushing-the-envelope antics were legendary among his classmates; he was the glue that held the Originals together. The solution? Find the Next Great Paulie Fink. Unbiased and rule-driven Caitlyn is chosen to be the contest creator, judge, and jury. In the end, they succeed, but in ways they never imagined. Threads of ancient Greek culture are cleverly woven throughout this poignant and humorous coming-of-age novel that tactfully showcases tougher topics such as bullying and accepting change. Gold star narration provided by Cassandra Morris, Zach Villa, Cameron Bowen, and Adam McArthur perfectly capture each well-developed character. VERDICT A top pick for tweens.-Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City School District, OH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from January 15, 2019
Starting at a new middle school can be a horrifying experience for anyone.Seventh-grader Caitlyn finds it harder than she ever imagined. For one thing, she's expected to help take care of the goats--and the kindergartners. Plus, none of her new classmates appear to play by the same social rules as her old middle school. Instead of trying to be cool, everyone at Mitchell stands out, and they do it on purpose. Even a kid who's no longer there stands out. When Paulie Fink, legendary for his pranks, doesn't return for seventh grade, his old classmates miss him so much they decide to hold a contest to name the next great Paulie Fink. Caitlyn, as the most objective person in the class, serves as organizer, judge, and jury. But by the time the next great Paulie Fink is named, Caitlyn understands that it's far more than one person they're trying to save. A story with massive heart, Benjamin's follow-up to The Thing About Jellyfish (2015) proves this writer's incredible wit, charm, and ability to navigate deep questions while tapping directly into the middle school mindset. The novel is rare for the ease with which it combines ancient Greek studies with modern-day issues such as bullying and change, helped along by a delightful multiracial cast. Diversity is communicated mostly via naming convention; Caitlyn seems to be default white.A book to make readers think, question, reach, laugh, and strive harder. (Fiction. 9-14)

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March 1, 2019
Grades 4-7 A reluctant newcomer in a small Vermont town, Caitlyn joins 10 other seventh-graders at the Mitchell School, which resembles a haunted house. Though initially uncomfortable among her classmates, who often reminisce about Paulie Fink, a former student and legendary prankster, Caitlyn comes to enjoy mentoring a kindergartener and running a secret class contest to find the next great Paulie Fink. When she discovers that, with reduced revenues, Mitchell may be forced to close, Caitlyn realizes how much her quirky new school matters to her. Interspersed with frequent statements from classmates, teachers, and the principal, Caitlyn's first-person narrative places her at the story's emotional center, while an ensemble cast of individuals revolves around her and ultimately supports Caitlyn in becoming her own person. Though the pacing seems slow initially, the story becomes more engaging as Caitlyn begins to find her way. Gradually realizing that she feels remorse for bullying a classmate at her old school, she becomes an increasingly sympathetic character. A change of pace for Benjamin, who wrote The Thing about Jellyfish (2015).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)

May 1, 2019
Reluctant new-kid Caitlyn finds her classmates obsessed with the question of what happened to Paulie Fink, the charismatic class clown and disruptor who mysteriously hasn't returned at the beginning of seventh grade. Caitlyn struggles to find her place in a close-knit, offbeat rural school where she's suddenly the odd one out. Eventually, she finds a role to play as the judge for a reality show-like competition to crown Paulie's successor as someone whose official job it is to make school?memorable. Benjamin (The Thing About Jellyfish) explores the unreliable nature of memory and personal mythology, with some ancient Greek philosophy thrown in via a teacher who tells the class about kleos: Renown. Glory. Being Remembered. Sections narrated by Caitlyn are interspersed with interviews conducted with the competition contestants, emails, and text messages (including many unanswered ones to friends back home), which makes for a breezy read and allows readers to piece together impressions of Caitlyn and of the school, just as Caitlyn forms secondhand impressions of Paulie (who, as it turns out, is a totally ordinary shaggy-haired kid ). Frequently laugh-out-loud funny, the novel captures the quirks and traditions of a small community, and what it's like to enter such a community after its social dynamics are established. shoshana flax

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2019
An offbeat rural school's seventh graders are obsessed with what happened to charismatic class clown Paulie, who hasn't returned for the new year. Reluctant new-kid Caitlyn judges a reality showlike competition to crown Paulie's successor. Sections narrated by Caitlyn are interspersed with interviews, emails, and text messages, which makes for a breezy read. Frequently laugh-out-loud funny, the novel captures the quirks and traditions of a small community.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from February 1, 2019

Gr 5-8-Caitlyn has spent her sixth grade year learning the rules of middle school survival, and, while not attaining "silver dollar" social status, has secured a place among the other shiny "quarters." When her mother gets a new job and they move to rural Vermont, Caitlyn must reconsider everything she thought she knew, including the social hierarchy and her place in it. First of all, the Mitchell school, housed in a ramshackle old estate, resembles a haunted mansion. The kids are assigned to care for a herd of goats that are grooming their soccer field and are expected to have lunch with assigned kindergarten buddies. Secondly, there are only 11 students in the entire seventh grade and they are in no way cool. Her classmates are devastated to learn that Paulie Fink, the legendary class prankster and creator of chaos, has not returned to Mitchell and they are too distraught to welcome Caitlyn. When the kids decide to hold a reality TV-type competition for the next great Paulie Fink, Caitlyn is chosen as the logical impartial arbiter. She uses oral histories and interviews to get to know her classmates as they demythologize this larger-than-life figure and learns a great deal about her own strengths in the process. Benjamin has crafted a smart, funny, and deeply felt coming of age story that middle schoolers will relate to and find themselves ruminating on. She incorporates allegories from the ancient Greeks to examine assumptions and to question one's place in the community and in the world. VERDICT A witty, tender, and utterly engaging modern school story that draws on the wisdom of the ages.-Luann Toth, School Library Journal

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.