Well hello there!
I recently read Miracle Wimp by Erik P. Kraft.
Apparently I’m kind of funny, but people hardly ever notice because they don’t normally pay attention to me. Or if they do, it’s the wrong kind of attention, and they’re not going to hear what I have to say because they’re too focused on roughing me up. Do girls like funny? They don’t pay attention to me either. Even if I knew how to approach them, I’d never get my first sentence in before they’d walk away or shut me down. All this comedy gold is going to waste.
Everyone knows high school can be a nightmare, especially if you’re smart or funny. With his best friends by his side, Tom Mayo will navigate the perils of adolescence: atomic wedgies from the Donkeys, Wood Shop with crazy Mr. Boort, awkward first dates, and loathsome first jobs.
On my quest to read more “boy books” I came across Miracle Wimp by Erik P. Kraft, and immediately was drawn to the cover. I love this cover! The bright yellow and blue with hand drawn title is amazingly eye-catching, but not in a retina burning way! Anyway, back to my quest to find more books that will appeal to boys, I’m pretty sure this one is mission accomplished!
The boys at my school tend to be reluctant readers and when they do read they want sports or funny. Well, this one isn’t about sports (other than how bad at them the main character is) but it is incredibly hilarious. There were multiple times when Tom’s story had me cracking up out loud. I seriously cornered my husband on more than one occasion to read aloud a funny part to him. He laughed politely then edged away from me slowly…but that’s only because he had no context for the story. Trust me; this book is funny!
Kraft has definitely written (and illustrated) a high school version of the Wimpy Kid books. The book is told in episodes and has little sketches to go along with every vignette. These illustrations only add to the humor of the story and the short episodes make this book very readable and quick – a must for reluctant readers!
Tom Mayo (Miracle Wimp) is a likable main character. He’s your average goofy teenage boy who isn’t popular but isn’t the nerdiest of the nerds. He is smart and enjoys reading and drawing, but he’s also the funny guy which can sometimes save him in times of potential social danger. Tom is also a teenager who is willing to stand against people who are wrong, which really impressed me about his character (If I said more it’d be a spoiler so I won’t). He’s just a good guy trying to figure life out.
I only have two complaints. The first being the use of the “r” word (r–ard). Now, I acknowledge that it is only in the book once, but that was enough to put a slight damper on the book for me. I hate this word with everything inside of me and I hate the pain this word can stir up inside of people. I understand that the story is from a teenagers’ perspective and teens do use this word (I hear it at least 3x a day at work), but that doesn’t make it right. I believe this would should be deleted from our vocabularies. That said, I still enjoyed this book although I do feel a tinge of disappointment.
I said I had two complaints and the second one is that the story ended too abruptly. Honestly, I checked to see if pages had been ripped out (they hadn’t) and then I went online to see if there was a sequel (there wasn’t). But again, I still enjoyed the book.
Overall, Miracle Wimp will definitely appeal to older teen boys (although I’m a girl, not a teen I enjoyed it too) who are looking for a good laugh. There is some language here and there, so I recommend this one to older teens.
Author: Erik P. Kraft
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (August 1, 2007)
Format: Hardcover
Length: 245 pages
Series: Standalone
YA/MG: YA
Buy the Book: Miracle Wimp
