Now he’s disappeared, and Caitlyn discovers herself leading a reality-show-style competition to get the school’s next great Paulie Fink.
One thing’s for sure, though: A child was totally famous. Genuinely original, the novel offers thoughtful perspectives on friendship, accepting change, and the many rewarding guises of storytelling, as well as a fully gratifying ending that the characters don’t see coming. Based on whom you consult, Paulie was either a hilarious course clown, a relentless troublemaker, a hapless klutz, or an evil genius. Benjamin ( The Thing About Jellyfish) adroitly fleshes out her witty premise-and Paulie’s charismatic personality-through Caitlyn’s narration, interviews with Originals and administrators, and reflections on the ancient Greek beliefs taught in class. memorable,” and they recruit Caitlyn to concoct challenges that reflect Paulie’s spirit. Someone whose official job it is to make school. To “pull Paulie back to us,” the Originals stage a reality TV–style competition to “find someone to play the role of Paulie. Missing her old friends, play-by-the-rules Caitlyn scoffs at her classmates’ eccentricities and those of the easygoing school, located in an old Vermont mansion whose lawn boasts dilapidated statues of gods and where goats trim the overgrown soccer field. When he doesn’t appear on the first day of seventh grade, his classmates (called the “Originals,” since they are the school’s inaugural class) are bereft and largely ignore new-girl Caitlyn. The satisfying ending will have readers cheering, and maybe even shedding a tear or two.A wildly imaginative but never mean-spirited prankster, Paulie Fink was the life of Mitchell School.
Readers of all ages are invited to think about what we know, how we know it, how we tell what we know, whether we can completely understand people and events from the past, and lots more. Tweens will relate to Caitlyn's need to fit in, and her struggles to understand the strange, new world in which she suddenly finds herself.Īlthough there's very little content of concern, parents and guardians may want to read along with, or even read aloud to, readers on the younger side to help them grapple with big ideas like Plato's cave analogy, what a scapegoat really is, and what the role of the fool was in Shakespeare. The Next Great Paulie Fink is more lighthearted and less lyrical than Ali Benjamin's first book, The Thing About Jellyfish, but it does have moments that are genuinely touching. This novel is an enjoyable balance of funny hijinks quirky, colorful characters and a genuine exploration of heroes, stories, courage, and fitting in.
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