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Summary
Summary
A moving and beautifully written story about what can happen when two completely different boys are forced to put aside their differences, for fans of Wonder .
There are two sides to every story.
Alex's OCD is so severe that it's difficult for him to even leave his house some days. His classmate Dan is so angry that he lashes out at the easiest target he can find at school: Alex. When their moms arrange for Alex and Dan to spend time together over winter break, it seems like a recipe for certain disaster...until it isn't. Once forced together, these two sworn enemies discover that there is much more to each other than they ever knew.
Author Notes
Stewart Foster was named a New Author to Watch by the Guardian and was an Amazon Rising Star for his adult novel, published in the United Kingdom. Bubble Boy was his first book for young readers. Totally obsessed with soccer and cycling, he lives in Bath, England, with his two daughters, Lois and Tallulah.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-Sixth grader Alex has a lot of worries, and his fear of people dying tops each of the "worry lists" his doctor suggests he write. Alex has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). He is terrified of germs, so he hesitates when it comes to touching things that might be dirty, going outside, and being around others. Alex's behavior puzzles his classmates, and while his parents and teachers are frustrated, they try to help him cope. Alex's schoolmate Dan is hurt and angry about his brother's arrest and sentence to a detention home. Bullying boys like Alex makes Dan feel like he has control over something in his life. Forced by their parents to work together to build a raft, the two slowly form a bond. Although Dan begins to feel guilty about things he has done to Alex at school, Dan is afraid his "friends" Sophie, George C., and George W. will turn on him if he tries to stop their behavior. Written in first-person perspectives, alternating chapters movingly present Dan's and Alex's feelings about the problems they are facing. With Dan in particular, clues about his life are given out slowly, allowing readers to understand what is motivating his negative behavior. Honest and painful, this book is not always easy to read, but its characterizations and settings are vivid and powerful. VERDICT A thoughtful narrative that will help middle grade readers build empathy and compassion.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Many books offer compassionate renderings of bullied victims; far fewer cast bullies in a sympathetic light. Foster (The Bubble Boy) does both with frankness and wit in this story told in alternating points of view by British middle schoolers Alex and Dan. Alex has severe OCD and a long list of fears, including germs, people dying, and classmate Dan, whose gang of troublemakers torment him at school. Dan lives his life in anger while worrying about his older brother, who is locked up in a detention center. When Dan's and Alex's parents meet at the movies and decide their sons should spend time together, both boys are distraught. Forced together against their will to work on the raft Dan is building, they come to understand each other's vulnerabilities. In this insightful novel, Foster shows a clear understanding of adolescent dynamics, inside the classroom and out. As the characters come to grips with each other's behavior, readers will find themselves rooting for both protagonists. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Dan spends his time bullying obsessive-compulsive Alex and building a raft designed by Dan's incarcerated older brother. Unaware of the bullying, their parents arrange for the boys to work on the raft together, and they slowly come to understand each other. Alternating between their two perspectives, Foster promotes empathy both for Alex's struggle with severe OCD and the problems fueling Dan's cruel behavior. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The author of Bubble (2017) once again engages preteens' emotional intelligence, this time tackling bullying and mental illness from dual perspectives.Alex's OCD makes him see and feel germs everywhere, so he wears gloves in public, which often makes him a target of bullyinghis private "Worry Lists" don't seem to keep his phobias from multiplying. Meanwhile, Dan adores and always followed his big brother, Ben, but when Ben had to go away (exactly why and where become a light mystery), Dan fell under the spell of bully Sophie, who makes Alex her primary target. Dan unconsciously tries to hide his hurt and anger about Ben by working on a raft the two had begun. In short, alternating first-person chapters, the two Year Seven British boys give readers access to their inner thoughts and pain. When their friendly mums arrange for them to work on Dan's raft together, Alex must confront his debilitating phobias and Dan must hide the relationship from Sophie. As work together slowly turns into mutual understanding and finally, friendship, readers also see the causes and effects of both bullying and empathy. The high tension and realism (including pop culture, family dynamics, etc.) will keep the interest of avid and reluctant readers alike. Alex, Dan, and Sophie all appear to be white, and the book assumes the white default.For fans of Wonder looking for more ways to appreciate tolerance and diversity. (Fiction. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Alex, 12, has OCD and worries all the time about everybody dying, horrible accidents, dog poop, and seagulls, among other things. His classmate Dan is part of a group that bullies Alex relentlessly. Yet incredibly, the two boys end up working on a project together, a raft Dan designed with his brother, Ben, who is currently in the British version of juvenile detention. While Alex is afraid of everything as a rule, Dan is afraid that the others in his group will find out he is spending time with Alex. What's worse, they are beginning to like each other! At least one worry remains, though: What will happen at school when the holiday ends? Told in sections alternating between the two boys' perspectives, the novel does a nice job of showing both sides of the duo's ostensibly contentious friendship, particularly when it comes to Dan, whose narrative illuminates the roots of his behavior. There are no miraculous transformations here; nevertheless, the boys' development is entirely convincing. Hand to fans of character-driven middle-grade fiction.--Donna Scanlon Copyright 2018 Booklist
