Chapter Book no. 5: The Schwa Was Here



The Schwa Was Here
Author: Neal Shusterman
Illustrator: n/a

Genre: Realistic Fiction
Subgenre: Fiction (although the book's characters are believable, some of its events are more fictious than realistic)
Themes: Coming-of-age, fitting in, blending in, families, change, emotions (such as grief and fear), humor

Primary Characters: Anthony "Antsy" Bonano, Calvin Schwa
Secondary Characters: Antsy's friends Howie and Ira, his parents, his brother Frank and sister Christina, Mr. Crawley (a neighborhood recluse), Mr. Crawley's granddaughter Lexie, the Night Butcher at a nearby grocery store, Calvin's father

Published March 2, 2006 by Puffin

Awards: 2005 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Fiction
2007/2008 California Young Reader Medal Award - winner
2005 American Library Association – “Best Book”
2005 American Library Association – “Notable Book”
2006 International Reading Association – “Young Adult Choice” Award List
2007 Georgia Peach Award List
2008 Illinois Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award List
2007/2008 Indiana Young Hoosier Award List
2007 Oklahoma Sequoyah Award List
2007/2008 Nebraska Golden Sower Award List
2007 Rhode Island Teen Book Award
2005 Missouri Children’s Choice Award List
2007/2008 New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award List
2005/2006 Texas Lonestar Award
2006 Kentucky Bluegrass Book Award List
2006 Utah Beehive Award List
2006 Pennsylvania Young Readers Award List
2006 Tennessee Volunteer State Award List
2005/2006 Vermont Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award List
2006 California Readers: California Collection Award
2006 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens.
2010-2011 New Hampshire Isinglass Teen Reads Award List

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!  It's both incredibly hilarious and incredibly touching; I'm not exaggerating when I say that I laughed and cried as I read it. Calvin Schwa is a middle school student who feels invisible; and indeed, experiments performed by Anthony and his friends would appear to prove that he could be right! Anthony and "The Schwa" (as Calvin comes to be called) become close friends when they get into trouble together over a dare. Their punishment is to walk "Old Man Crawley" 's fourteen Afghans (cleverly named after the seven deadly sins and the seven virtues--literally, there's a dog named Charity, one named Gluttony, and so on!). As the book progresses we see both of them beginning to "grow up" before our very eyes, getting into arguments about everything from girls to their families. I really can't say enough good things about this book, and I'm having to restrain myself from writing EVERYTHING about it and giving away the ending! (I will say, though, that it's very bittersweet and I kind of saw it coming.) I would use this book in an upper-elementary grade classroom; I wouldn't limit it to only one literature circle, but rather would read it aloud to my entire class so that we could all enjoy it together. =) This is my new Favorite Book So Far that I've read for this class!! If you're looking for a good kids' book read, PICK THIS ONE! It's wonderful!