Don't Call Me Ishmael

February 1, 2008
Gr 8 Up-It's the start of Year Nine at St. Daniel's Boys School for 14-year-old narrator Ishmael Leseur. Suddenly made aware of his "wussy-crap" name (which he blames on his parents and, in turn, Herman Melville), wry, witty Ishmael expects to keep his head down, as he did the year before, around bully Barry Bagsley, who has become more aggressive. But the new year brings surprisesMiss Tarango, an inspiring young English teacher willing to stand up to Barry; an odd new student, James Scobie, who claims that an operation erased his ability to feel fear; a debate team, started by James, which makes friends out of an unlikely group of students; and a potential romance with a debater from a rival girls' school. Ishmael's voice is strong, funny, and compelling, and Australian writer Bauer brings some fantastic characters to life through snappy dialogue and vivid descriptions. The plot meanders, though, striking out in too many undeveloped directions; first Miss Tarango drops out of focus, then James Scobie and the protagonist's family, and the result is a read that, while unified by Ishmael's strong narrative voice and moments of laugh-out-loud humor, feels oddly pieced together and unsatisfying. Although readers may enjoy identifying with a bullied underdog who "gets the girl" at the end, the book doesn't quite live up to its early potential."Riva Pollard, formerly at The Winsor School Library, Boston"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2007
Ishmael Leseur is convinced that his name (his first name was inspired by Melvilles famous character and his last name is ripe for unsavory rhymes) is the source of all his woes. Then he meets James, confident new classmate who, despite a facial tick that marks him a juicy target for laughs, bests bully Barry Bagsley and succeeds at everything. Could this mean Ishmael can turn his own life around? He joins the debate club James is organizing, which brings together a bunch of other losers. Of course that seems to make matters worse. Ishmael faints at a tournament, and he still cant stand up to Barry. But when James disappears, Ishmael finds himself and his fellow debators pulling together in the way James always knew they could. Bauer invests Ishmael with a great sense of self-deprecating humor, and quirky chapter titles extend the laughs. Like the Primrose in Polly Horvaths Everything on a Waffle (2001), Ishmael cant catch a break, but he still holds out hope that geeks will eventually rule the world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)