Miracle Wimp

My little brother (11) got this book in the mail yesterday. He has been reading it nonstop since then and just finished all 245 pages. He has never been a big fan of reading, but he loved this book! We found something he could really enjoy reading. We're going to go look for more books by Erik Kraft.

MIRACLE WIMP by Erik P. Kraft is the account of life as a high school nerd. Tom Mayo, yes Mayo, hence the nickname Miracle Wimp, tells his story. Early on, Tom attempts to explain how he tried to tell his tormentors the Donkeys (jock-types) that mayonnaise and Miracle Whip were not the same, but no one ever said the Donkeys were very bright. As many will remember, high school can be filled with "painful" moments, and Tom describes them well. Constructed in one to two page snippets, MIRACLE WIMP is one high school torture after another. There are wedgie victims, a terrifying shop teacher with pointless shop class projects, gym class tortures like group showers, "flag" football, and wrestling, not to mention first dates and the nerve-racking fear of driver's ed. Anyone with high school experience can relate to Tom's stories. Spend two hours at a local diner drinking coffee and eating pickle spears? According to Tom Mayo, that's a pretty cool thing to do when you are a high school kid with very little money, especially if the coffee is 50 cents and the pickles are free. MIRACLE WIMP is a fast read with its short chapters and plentiful chuckles. It should be a success with both current and up-and-coming high schoolers as well as a few adults who want to remember the "good old days." Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"