Spanking Shakespeare

I have a 16 year old son whom I thought hated reading. Couldn't for the life of me, get him to pick up a book, UNTIL.... "Spanking Shakespeare". What a surprise! (I had him promise to read one book this summer, so he acquiesced). What a surprise1! He could not stop reading this book. He absolutely loved it! His comments were that it was funny, well written and addressed teen issues so it was very relatable. Now he wats the whole family to read it so we could have a book discusion. ALSO,he wants to find other books that have the same parameters, so he could continue to READ!! Thank you Jake Wizner for inspiring my teen to read!!

Shakespeare Shapiro is in his senior year of high school. His best friend keeps a journal of his bowel movements, and Shakespeare has to spend his senior year writing his memoir when what he'd really like to do is just get a girlfriend. This book follows Shakespeare through his senior year and the writing of his memoir. I really liked this book. It was funny and also contained some serious parts. It reminded me a bit of Gordon Korman's writing, but for a slightly more mature audience. Highly recommended.

Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name. It is one in a long line of things that his parents have done to make his life miserable. The rest of his life isn't going very well either. Shakespeare actually describes his life as a series of catastrophes. Now he is beginning his senior in high school, has never kissed a girl, and has only made two friends. His younger brother, Gandhi, is popular and has a girlfriend. And his parents, well, they are a unique force to be reckoned with. Now that he is in the twelfth grade, Shakespeare has to do his school's senior project; write a memoir about his life so far. The good news is that Shakespeare is a skillful writer. The bad? How truthful would you want to be if your life was made up of mortifying, embarrassing moments? In addition to his memoir, Shakespeare is also dealing with the usual high school issues: girls (or a lack of them), sex (or a lack of it), popularity (again--a lack of it), and family. And now his two best friends, Neil and Katie, are hooking up. SPANKING SHAKESPEARE is a hilariously funny look at the life of a very unique teenage boy. It is written in a dual style; a narrative of Shakespeare's everyday life combined with chapters from his memoir. Author Jake Wizner takes readers through the life of one of the smartest and funniest characters in young adult fiction today. SPANKING SHAKESPEARE will have you laughing out loud. Reviewed by: JodiG.

I had such fun reading this book. I too laughed out loud and even felt obligated to read portions of it to my husband. This is a book that both young adults and not so young adults will enjoy.

Shakespeare Shapiro is a witty senior in high school who has a lot to say about himself, his family, and his friends. I laughed out loud while I was reading. There are touching moments too, which round out the book nicely. Shakespeare is writing a memoir, in which he muses about his (unfortunate?) name, his crazy family, and his social ineptitude. As a former teacher, I can say that this book will appeal to teen girls and boys, and (open minded) parents.