Tuesday, July 14, 2009

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School by David Borgenicht, et al. -- Book Review


You've finally made it out of elementary school. How cool is that? But now you're headed off to middle school and things might be way different than they used to be. How will you survive?

Well, if you pick up a copy of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School, you'll certainly be off to a better start than most.






This quick read is full of advice on how to survive:

The First Day,
Homework Overload,
Bullies and Cliques,
Getting in Trouble,

and so much more, including special "Girls Only" and "Boys Only" sections.

You'll find tips on how to:

memorize your locker combination,
fix a problem with a teacher,
rescue a sinking grade,
challenge a cheater,
prep for a test in your toughest class,
try out without freaking out,

and so many tips that will make your journey through middle school easier and more enjoyable.

One of the topics I paid close attention to is "How to Survive a Bully". While I think it is slightly misplaced being in the "Boys Only" section, the tips found here could really make a difference for a young person trying to deal with a bully. The "Girls Only" section does cover the topic of "How to Survive Mean Girls" and those tips are great, but there are enough girl bullies out there that I felt surviving bullies should be in Chapter 3, titled "The Social Scene".

While reading this book, all I could think was, "Where was this book when I was entering middle school?"

The hip cover and fun illustrations provided by Chuck Gonzales definitely get an "A" in my book, and by using silly names like "Miss Mean Jeans" the authors get their points across in a lighthearted and entertaining way.

Buy it for yourself. Buy it for a friend. Buy it for someone you love. But make sure you buy it before that person enters middle school.


Title: The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Middle School
Authors: David Borgenicht, Ben H. Winters, and Robin Epstein
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 978-0-8118-6864-8
SRP: $10.99 (U.S.)

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