From the Publisher
Praise for War Stories:
* "This weave of perceptive, well-told tales wears its agenda with unusual grace." — Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Praise for Restart:
* "A fresh approach to the familiar topic of bullying, kept credible by believable characters and events, with typical Korman humor and just the right touch of mystery." — School Library Journal, starred review
Praise for Slacker:
"Upbeat, inspiring, and full of Korman's signature sense of humor." — Publishers Weekly
"Korman makes comedy look deceptively easy." — Booklist
Praise for Swindle:
"Scary, funny, and hysterical adventures!" — Chicago Tribune
"Pure fun from top to bottom." — School Library Journal
Praise for The Hypnotists:
"Fast-paced... an entertaining mix of intense action and goofy fun." — Publishers Weekly
Praise for Ungifted:
"A gem for readers looking for a book where the underdog comes out on top." — Voice of Youth Advocates
"Funny and insightful." — Publishers Weekly
Praise for Schooled:
* "This rewarding novel features an engaging main character and some memorable moments of comedy, tenderness, and reflection." — Booklist, starred review
JANUARY 2023 - AudioFile
A top-notch pack of narrators voices a group of middle school boys who find strength in their friendship. Ramon de Ocampo portrays logical Ricky, a smart new kid tagging along with friends who discover a bomb shelter hidden in the woods. Mark Sanderlin voices Evan with a blend of surliness and insecurity; he’s been stung by his addicted parents having left him in the care of his grandparents. Tom Picasso's tone is strident and earnest as Jason, a pawn in his parents' vicious divorce. Mitchell is spiraling downward with OCD left untreated after his mother loses her job; he’s portrayed with an angsty edge by Christopher Carley. Michael Crouch icily voices CJ, a daredevil whose tricks hide a dangerous secret. High jinks in the boys’ hideout quickly become overshadowed by their tumultuous lives. S.T.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2022-03-29
A gaggle of eighth graders find the coolest clubhouse ever.
Fulfilling the fantasies of anyone who’s ever constructed a fort in their bedroom or elsewhere, Korman hands his five middle schoolers a fully stocked bomb shelter constructed decades ago in the local woods by an eccentric tycoon and lost until a hurricane exposes the entrance. So, how to keep the hideout secret from interfering grown-ups—and, more particularly, from scary teen psychopath Jaeger Devlin? The challenge is tougher still when everyone in the central cast is saddled with something: C.J. struggles to hide injuries inflicted by the unstable stepdad his likewise abused mother persists in enabling; Jason is both caught in the middle of a vicious divorce and unable to stand up to his controlling girlfriend; Evan is not only abandoned by drug-abusing parents, but sees his big brother going to the bad thanks to Jaeger’s influence; Mitchell struggles with OCD–fueled anxieties and superstitions; and so forth. How to keep a story overtaxed with issues and conflicts from turning into a dreary slog? Spoiler alert: Neither the author nor his characters ultimately prove equal to the challenge. With the possible exception of Ricky Molina, one of the multiple narrators, everyone seems to be White.
A terrific premise buried beneath problem-novel tropes. (resources, author’s note) (Fiction. 11-13)
