Burns,
T.R. The Bad Apple. (Merits of
Mischief) Simon & Schuster/
Aladdin 352p 16.99 978-1-4424-4029-6 ms VG-BN
Realistic Fiction
Seamus Hinkle has a perfect record at
school. He has never been in trouble
until he throws an apple at a bully but it accidentally hits and kills a
substitute teacher. His parents send him
to a school that they think is a reform school, Kilter Academy for Troubled Youth.
Seamus quickly finds that it is a
school that teaches kids how to misbehave. Students
earn credit through their bad behavior, especially pranks against teachers. He manages to amass
many, many points, accidentally. He is
trying to be good, but somehow he is very good at misbehaving. With the help of some friends, he works toward a
top prize hoping his life will change.
The characters are well drawn and their
actions will be very familiar to students. The class bully, the prankster, and the goody-goody all appear in
this unique novel. Readers will love the
twist that forms the basis of the story - a school that teaches kids how to misbehave.
Humor-Fiction, Reform
Schools-Fiction --Joan
Theal
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