Pottymouth and Stoopid

May 1, 2017
Patterson and Grabenstein, the team behind the I Funny series, introduce two beleaguered but resilient seventh graders. Despite their stratospheric IQs, best friends David, who is white, and Michael, who is black, have been saddled with the nicknames Stoopid and Pottymouth following incidents involving a botched math problem and an invented vocabulary, respectively. As the boys struggle with their unfair reputations, the authors tackle bullies, unexpected friendships, and family troubles with comedy and poignancy. Michael’s foster parents are slackers with actual potty mouths, David’s grandfather dies unexpectedly, and David’s mother works three jobs to make ends meet while his deadbeat “Ex-Dad” parlays the boys’ school travails into a hit TV series. Both clever and sweet, the revenge the friends exact bonds them to other outsiders at their school and to the TV show’s writers. Gilpin’s cartoons build on the story’s many jokes, interludes from classmates and family members flesh out the boys’ world, and the friends’ hard-fought victory feels very well earned. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: (for Patterson) Robert Barnett, Williams & Connolly; (for Grabenstein) Eric Myers, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates.

May 1, 2017
Sludgepuggle! Pottymouth and Stoopid take on relentless bullies, terrible teachers, and a dastardly Ex-Dad.Twelve-year-olds Michael and David have been best friends--and the objects of widespread ridicule--since preschool. Now they're in seventh grade, and things are still pretty much the same. Everyone still calls David "Stoopid," because he once accidentally spilled some paint, and Michael "Pottymouth," because he responds with creative expletives when provoked ("Rrrrrggghhh, hicklesnicklepox! David isn't stupid, you flufferknuckles!"). David's divorced parents and Michael's churlish foster parents are no help, and when a new TV show appears on the Cartoon Factory network, things take a turn...for the worse. As with Patterson and Grabenstein's previous collaborations, the combination of short chapters and comical illustrations (here courtesy of Gilpin) targets fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This iteration aims, not quite successfully in its broad strokes, to reflect a slightly more diverse crowd--the vast majority of primary characters are white, but Michael is black, and the story also touches on children's experiences with divorced parents, (bad) foster parents, and families with lower incomes. Readers will be amused by Pottymouth and Stoopid's shenanigans, bolstered occasionally by the brainy Anna Britannica (chubby and white and another victim of the school's charismatic bully), but the generally formulaic tale delivers few truly funny or memorable moments. An entertaining--but not particularly original--addition to the perennially relevant genre. (Fiction. 8-12)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 3-5-David and Michael are two typical students who have been tagged with terrible nicknames, which have moved with them from grade to grade. Their experiences with bullying are shared through David's first-person account, which is filled with cartoon-style illustrations throughout. David and Michael are understood only by David's grandfather. The boys' bond with Grandpa Johnny is heartwarming. Problems with divorced parents and foster parents are addressed but only in passing. Many of the boys' attempts to impress classmates are chuckle-worthy, and readers will laugh at their made-up words and cheer on these two likable boys and their friend Anna Brittannica. Unlike other books about bullying, this one offers alternative solutions to handling everyday situations-for instance, the boys often calmly respond, "Uh huh, right back atcha!" The simple lessons will speak to bullies and bullied alike. The title may deter some adults, but kids will embrace the silliness and enjoy this relatable tale. VERDICT A solid addition to collections serving upper middle grade and middle school readers. Hand to fans of goofy, realistic school stories.-Elizabeth Swartz, Warrior Run School District, PA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2017
Grades 4-7 The latest Middle School tale from these hyperprolific coauthors features a decidedly unlikely but deeply satisfying twist that turns two seventh-graders haunted by nicknames bestowed in preschool into culture heroes. So thoroughly defined as losers that not even their teachers or principal know their real names, David Scungili ( Stoopid ) and Michael Littlefield ( Pottymouth )one white, the other African American, as depicted in Gilpin's frequent comical drawingssuddenly find themselves caricatures in a megahit Cartoon Factory show. As it turns out, the titular monikers are as inaccurate as they are unkind: David has a sometimes embarrassing impulsive streak, but both lads earn genius-level scores on IQ tests, and Michael's nickname comes not from cursing but from his penchant for silly made-up words. Readers will applaud as the two best buds not only see both the requisite bully (here, a girl) and a cast of clueless grown-ups receive proper comeuppance, but also find themselves at the head of a veritable army of geeks and brains with similarly disparaging nicknames. Awesometastic! HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Patterson and Grabenstein are both thoroughly familiar with best-seller liststogether, they'll be unstoppable. Need we say more?(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)