Matthew Meets the Man

December 15, 2011
Fourteen-year-old Matthew Swanbeck takes on "The Man" in this humorous slice of high-school life. The Man is "Authority. Cops, parents, teachers, bosses, old people. The Man is the system of control that keeps its fat thumb pressed down on your freakin' head to make sure you don't have too much fun," according to Matt's older friend Sully, "the oldest junior in the history of Franklin High School." But this is no angry young man–versus–the establishment story; Matt's simply a good-hearted high-school kid out to navigate the treacherous waters of coolness, which is difficult when you have no money, you're in the marching band, your friends are all computer geeks and you're just naturally the kind of kid who pays extra for recycled toilet paper when rolling a friend's house. But Matt has a new girlfriend, takes her to homecoming and even starts up a new rock band, so all is not uncool. Nichols expertly captures Matt's nerdy, quirky and frequently funny adolescent voice and embellishes the text with black-and-white cartoonish illustrations, lists, diagrams and handwritten letters, a satisfying one-two punch of story and illustration. A light-hearted tale of a likable kid trying to be cool and survive high school at the same time. (Fiction. 11-14)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

February 1, 2012

Gr 5-9-High school freshman Matt has his first run-in with "The Man"-the system of authority that keeps him from having too much fun-when his parents won't buy him a drum set. He is then left to his own devices to realize his plan to start a band and become famous. Fortunately, he has plenty of devices, including determination and ingenuity, to help him get what he wants. The teen's cocky self-confidence also gets him his dream girl, Hope, and a spot in the town's big battle of the bands. Even though Matt's group doesn't win, he shows what he's learned at the end of the novel when he advises a friend to work for what he wants: "Your problem is you let The Man run your life." Matt is a likable protagonist with enough brashness to appeal to reluctant male readers. His sweet, mostly chaste (they "make out") romance with Hope is the most developed relationship in the book. Matt's caring parents and gamer friends get less attention. Nichols writes in a snappy, conversational style; the plot moves as quickly as Matt's ever-scheming brain. Illustrations are a bit juvenile for this audience: one-dimensional figures have enlarged, round heads and dot eyes, reminiscent of Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" series (Scholastic). A light, fun read.-M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2012
Grades 6-8 Meet Matthew Swanbeck. He is a more successful, more considerate Wimpy Kid. After a chance conversation with the neighborhood bad boy convinces him that he should follow his dreams, Matthew sets his sights on being a drummer in a rock 'n' roll band. It doesn't matter that he already plays the trumpet and can't save what little he earns; Matthew wants drums. And in true rock 'n' roll fashion, he won't let The Man (i.e., adults) get him down. And truthfully The Man doesn't. There is little tension in this comic story of boy versus world, despite the threat of The Man looming in the first half of the book. After some initial roadblocks presented by his frugal dad and the IRS's intrusion into his first paycheck, Matthew actually shows that with some ingenuity and perseverance it is possible to achieve goals and win parental approval. Humorous black-and-white illustrations enhance the text, and this quick read should appeal to reluctant readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)