Nowhere Special
- Subject
- Social Themes - Friendship
- Age
- 6-8 years
- Format
- Hardcover
- Pages
- 256
- Publisher
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Size
- 14.7 cm × 20.6 cm
- ISBN
- 9780063254008
Author Matt Wallace delivers a deeply moving story exploring that first formative friendship, navigating challenging family circumstances, and finding hope and strength in a forgotten desert town. Perfect for fans of Ernesto Cisneros and Julie Murphy.
The isolation and bullying Stan suffers at school are nothing compared to the war at home. After he tries and fails to defend his mom by standing up to his abusive father, Stan decides there is only one solution to finding a new self-confidence: he must learn how to fight.
Tragic events have split the two sides of Elpidia’s family into fighting factions. Every day she finds herself outnumbered by her cousins on the schoolyard. After the latest beatdown, her grandmother decides Elpidia must learn how to defend herself.
Stan and Elpidia seem like total opposites, but when they both wind up with the same reclusive trainer, they find an unexpected friendship as they work together to overcome their bullies. But when Stan gains the attention of a powerful gang leader, it threatens to pull him away from his new best friend. Will their dreams for the future be enough to get them out of this small town?
About the author
Matt WallaceAuthor
Data provided by BiblioShare.
What reviewers said
“Elpidia and Stan’s affectionate and steadfast relationship, as well as their conversations surrounding wide-eyed dreams for their imagined future together, grants this viscerally told story both levity and hope.”
“Elpidia’s abuela is one of several memorable members in a diverse and richly drawn cast, and the tale is shaped as much by cultural conflicts and identity as by the personal qualities, situations, and close bonds of its two main characters. Heavy going but strongly characterized and hopeful at the end.”
PRAISE FOR SUPERVILLAIN’S GUIDE TO BEING A FAT KID: “If self-confidence, friendship, and the never ending question of ‘who are the good guys’ were ingredients, then this book would be an amazing cake. This book also features an amazing cake.”
"An exciting romp full of good advice and featuring a fun protagonist."
"Confronting the assumption that physical appearance correlates to morality or worth and reinforcing the idea that individual choices and actions show a person’s true self, Wallace writes a triumphant arc of self-acceptance that extends to developing personal ethics and boundaries."
“A funny and heartfelt underdog tale that I couldn’t put down!"
