The Misfits by James Howe (2001)

This book is about the "Gang of Five" working to make a difference in their school. They see themselves as misfits and outcasts and want the teasing and tormenting to stop. In order to get the school's attention, they run as a third party on the student council ticket under the No-Name Party. Although they loose in the election, they all feel like they have made a difference in the school.

I think I would have enjoyed this book more when I was younger. I noticed several grammatical errors and the way it was written seemed extremely juvenile. Although I am critical of the way the book was written, I think that the message about loving who you are is much more important. I thought it was interesting that there were several characters that were homosexual. I had never read a young adult novel that addressed this issue. I think that these characters, along with the others are very relatable to students at this age because most people tend to feel like they are on the outside.

I would like to use this book in my future classroom. Since I do have criticism with the grammatical errors, I may not use it in that particular subject area. I think it would be a good book to read aloud to a class so you can stop and have a discussion at any point. I think it is important to have students talk about the large issues that are presented in this book.