The Misfits by James Howe

The Misfits by James Howe
I went into this book not really knowing anything about it and it was sort of enjoyable to not have any expectations about the characters or plots of the story. I do remember as I was reading this book that I was slightly stunned at first with the strong and straightforward language used by the characters in the story. (Although, I think it probably represents a lot of today's youth and their thoughts and how they speak) Even though I thought this book was well written, I would like to see how teachers use this piece of literature in their classroom. Do they use this book to bring attention to the issue of bullying or homosexuality or is it just a simple piece of literature in their classroom. As a teacher I think I would be more apprehensive approaching this book in the classroom than the students would be. Sometimes students can just take certain issues in a stride and not make too big of a deal about them, but i definitely also think there are times when there should be intentional discussions related to sensitive issues such as these. The dialogue way of writing was not my favorite part of the book, but it really gave the reader an impression of the characters. (I thought it was funny when Skeezie talked about the waiters-hellomynameis... and I also wonder how relatable a 12 year old working in a clothing store is...) I was truly rooting for the No-Name party towards the end of the book. I just loved how they banded together and were truly committed to their cause and believed in it wholeheartedly.