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Summary
Summary
Designed like a case file, chock-full of notes, journal entries, letters, e-mails, illustrations, and more, The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter is a hilarious middle-grade novel that argues why Thaddeus should be released from his in-school suspension and explains the unbelievable circumstances that led to his punishment. Like Adrian Mole and the Great Brain, Thaddeus is a too-smart-for-his-own-good hero. Soon readers will be chanting, "Free Thaddeus!"
Praise for The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter
"This original and entertaining book, with its smarty-pants narrator and case-file format, will draw comparisons to the Wimpy Kid series." --Booklist
"It won't take long for readers to realize that Thaddeus is as weird and annoying as the students and faculty think he is, but there is something endearing about him, too, as readers will glean from the lively assemblage of documents." -Kirkus Reviews
"Hilarious situations told by a memorable narrator in a unique format." -VOYA
"It has the same sassy, irreverent spirit as Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series but will appeal to a slightly older crowd. The format makes it an enjoyable choice for everyone, including reluctant readers." -School Library Journal
"It won't take long for readers to realize that Thaddeus is as weird and annoying as the students and faculty think he is, but there is something endearing about him, too, as readers will glean from the lively assemblage of documents." -Kirkus Reviews
"Readers who lean toward graphic novels will appreciate the unconventional format and look of this book." -Library Media Connection
Author Notes
John Gosselink is an English teacher who has taught students from seventh grade up to the university level. He has written a weekly humor column for his local paper for more than a decade. This is his first book. He lives with his wife (a librarian) and their three kids outside Austin, Texas. Visit his blog at www.thaddeusledbetter.blogspot.com.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-After organizing an unauthorized safety drill at his school, Thaddeus is put on a yearlong, in-school suspension. This is the record, in the form of his journal, school reports, letters, notes, and illustrations, of the seventh-grader's defense against the charges. While Thaddeus is reminiscent of Greg Heffley, this title is textually more demanding. (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Protagonist Thaddeus explains why his seemingly outlandish suggestions prove his superior intellect and why his year-long in-school suspension is an unjust punishment for his "true emergency drill." The story is told from a variety of perspectives and with different types of effectively designed "evidence" that (sometimes) supports Thaddeus's case--a self-defense document, notes from his teachers, doodles, etc. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Twelve-year-old Thaddeus A. Ledbetter has landed himself in In-School Suspension for the rest of the school year for performing his own safety drill at Crooked Creek Middle School. Feeling that typical fire drills don't really test preparedness for real-life emergencies, he devised a drill that involved a killer-bee alert, pulling the fire alarm and shouting about old people driving cars into the school, and the response included seven police cars, three fire trucks and several pest-control vehicles. Gosselink's debut novel is Thaddeus's defense of himself, typed on the school's laptop, mixed with letters to and from friends and relatives, notes from the principal, diagrams, helpful advice for running the school more efficiently and "Fun Facts," which are often definitions and derivations of words he uses from his extensive vocabulary. It won't take long for readers to realize that Thaddeus is as weird and annoying as the students and faculty think he is, but there is something endearing about him, too, as readers will glean from the lively assemblage of documents. (Fiction. 10-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Thaddeus Ledbetter is a legend in his own mind, as deficient in social skills as he is clever and motivated. He not only has an answer for everything but an efficiency plan as well. Unable to recognize that his advice is often unwanted, misguided, and, in some cases, bordering on the insane, he is sent to In-school Suspension (ISS). Instead of doing his schoolwork, Thaddeus compiles a dossier to protest his punishment. Notes from his only friend, his correspondence with the school principal, and a Prison Diary are interspersed throughout the novel and help explain the mitigating circumstances behind his mishaps. A subplot concerning the recent death of Thaddeus' father adds perspective to his behavior. Still, he is often intolerable, but that won't stop kids from enjoying his outrageous antics. This original and entertaining book, with its smarty-pants narrator and case-file format, will draw comparisons to the Wimpy Kid series.--Dean, Kara Copyright 2010 Booklist
