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Sorry You're Lost (2014)

by Matt Blackstone(Favorite Author)

3.75 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0374380651 (ISBN13: 9780374380656)

languge

English

genre

Humor

publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

review 1: Written more for a 6th-8th grade level but a competent 5th grader would be fine. There is no cursing or sexual content - but it is more intense than the cover portrays.7th grader, Denny "Donuts" Murphy is struggling with the death of his mother. He hides his grief by becoming the class clown. Teacher compassion and support is rapidly waning in face of his antics. Denny's father is too busy grieving and over-eating to figure out how to talk to his son.Denny and his friend Manny hatch a scheme to illicitly sell candy bars at school to raise money to entice 8th grade girls to go with them to the 7th grade dance. (Think limo, fancy dinner, and other attractions).I had a hard time with this book as the author tried to use humor to diffuse some of the sombre tone, serious passa... moreges, and message of the novel. May really speak to some students but feels a bit pedantic.The title "Sorry you're lost" comes from all the "sorry for your loss" messages that he received from other students when his mom died.
review 2: There are many ways to cope with loss. Seventh grader Denny (Donuts)Murphy deals with the death of his mother by becoming the class clown. He even pretends to talk to her on the phone. But even as he becomes involved in his friend Manny's candy selling scheme, he pushes the limits of respectability and acceptable behavior way past their limits, and his teachers grow increasingly concerned. After all, Denny isn't showing up for class, and when he does show up, he misbehaves and tries to entertain his classmates. The author does a good job of explaining Denny's feelings and how it is possible to become lost after losing someone or something that matters to you. He also describes vividly the distance that has grown between Denny and his father, brought out into the open during a parent/teacher conference. There were parts of the book concerning Sabrina that touched me deeply and made me smile, but there were also parts of the book that seemed to lack development. For instance, I would have liked to have known more about Manny's mother and her parenting choices, and I wondered why no school counselor was working with Denny as his life went awry. The book's honesty and its humor will insure that it appeals to middle grade readers. Prospective middle school teachers might want to read it too since it offers insight into the behavior of many students in those grades and offers explanations for some of their acting out. less

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