My Life As a Weirdo by Lee Wardlaw (Previously published under the title Seventh-Grade Weirdo by Scholastic, Inc.) Middle Grade Fiction Ages 8-13 Troll Communications Fall 2000

The World's Weirdest Family? Rob wants to start seventh grade with a whole new image. He wants to be known as a fairly average, normal guy. But normal might be a little too much to ask. Because Robs has a problem. His family. He comes from a family of weirdos. His five-year-old sister, Winnie, is a much-publicized, genuine genius. His mother adores Winnie-the-Pooh - - and proves it by driving around in a van painted with pictures of Pooh, Rabbit and Piglet. And his father, an ex-surfer, can't even speak without saying things like "stoked," and "awesome," and "cowabunga!" - - especially in front of Rob's friends. Life doesn't get any easier on Rob's first day of junior high, especially when he is recognized by the school bully, The Shark. Rob's doomed to be the weirdo for the rest of his life, thanks to his off-the-wall family, unless he can come up with a brilliant plan. But when his sister winds up in a dangerous situation with The Shark, he discovers there's no such thing as being perfectly normal . . .

Excerpts from MY LIFE AS A WEIRDO:

"You've probably read about me. My name is Christopher Robin. No, not
THAT Christopher Robin. I don't own a bear or anything. But I do have a
sister named Winnie. That's why you've read about me. I'm the kid with the
famous sister. The millionaire sister. The sister who's invented
practically the most popular board game in the world. The sister who's only
six."

-Rob, on his sister, Winnie

"Logan and I headed for the main doors. A knot of kids blocked the way.
At the center of the knot stood a tall, muscular guy with short, ice-blond
hair. That white hair looked odd with the rest of his face, because he had
these thick black eyebrows, and black-black eyes, kind of like bottomless
pits. He didn't move a muscle, didn't turn his head, but I could feel those
eyes boring through us, like laser beams. "That's The Shark," Logan
whispered . . .

-Rob, on seeing the school bully for the first time

"That's all I needed to totally blow my cover: Dad, standing in front
of eight hundred kids, wearing his Day-Glo wetsuit and showing slides of the
time he went surfing with our dog. The same slides that feature me, at age
two, running around the beach naked with seaweed on my head."

-Rob, on his Dad, a former pro-surfer coming to Career Day.

Awards and Honors:

Florida Sunshine State Young Reader Award, 1996
A Texas Lone Star Recommended Reading Book, 1992

Reviews

". . . humorously accounts the trials and tribulations of Rob's first
year in junior high . . . Wardlaw unerringly hits upon one of the chief
fears of this age group: to be though weird by their peers. Her light
touch keeps a smile on your lips as you read. Sections cry out to be read
aloud to classes, especially at the beginning of a new school year. Also
recommend this book for self-esteem units." - VOYA

" . . . very funny." - Kirkus Reviews

" . . . the story moves swiftly, the hero is likeable, and the themes
of family solidarity and living according to one's values are important and welcome."
- Booklist

" . . . [an] entertaining, sometimes touching story of self-realization
. . . certain poignant moments between Rob and Winnie aptly touch the
antithetical relationship between siblings, of affection versus aggravation
. . . heartwarming
. . . reminiscent of Jerry Spinelli's SPACE STATION SEVENTH GRADE, Wardlaw
uses lighthearted humor to illustrate the inevitable conflicts within
families." -School Library Journal

" . . . Wild and humorous situations . . . Wardlaw is a master of
dialogue - - she maintians a perfect balance of funny, fresh, playful and
realistic kidtalk throughout her books. She experesses the underpinning
psyhchology - -that of coming to an authentic appreciation of self - -
through Rob's growth and perceptions, avoiding the distancing didacticsm
which prvails in many books for this age group." -Book Page