Surviving the Applewhites ANNOTATION
Jake, a budding juvenile delinquent, is sent for home schooling to the arty and eccentric Applewhite family's Creative Academy, where he discovers talents and interests he never knew he had.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Will anyone take on Jake Semple?
Jake Semple is notorious. Rumor has it he burned down his old school and got kicked out of every school in his home state.
Only one place will take him now, and that's a home school run by the Applewhites, a chaotic and hilarious family of artists. The only one who doesn't fit the Applewhite mold is E.D. -- a smart, sensible girl who immediately clashes with the unruly Jake.
Jake thinks surviving this one will be a breeze ... but is he really as tough or as bad as he seems?
FROM THE CRITICS
Book Magazine - Kathleen Odean
Tough Jake Semple, who's been expelled from school after school, has one last chance with the eccentric Applewhite family, artists who school their four children at home. Largely self-absorbed, except for the sensible but initially hostile twelve-year-old, E.D., the Applewhites barely notice Jake's spiked red hair and multiple body piercings. Instead, they turn to him to play a role in Mr. Applewhite's local production of The Sound of Music. Jake, who's surprised to find he likes acting and singing, and E.D., whose organizational skills suddenly blossom as stage manager, become allies as Jake adjusts to the frenetic but always funny Applewhites.
Publishers Weekly
When a boy is kicked out of yet another school, the Applewhites, an eccentric family of artists, offer to let him live with them and attend their unstructured Creative Academy. According to PW, "humor abounds in the ever-building chaos." Ages 10-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Alan Review - Joy Frerichs
Individuality is important to Jake Semple. He is a juvenile delinquent who sports an eyebrow ring, spiked and garish red hair, black clothes, numerous earringsﾽanything it takes to be noticed. In a final attempt to rehabilitate him, Jake is sent to the Applewhites, a quirky, artistic family whose many interests include butterflies, goats, dogs, and theater. Before long, Jake is immersed in the family's lives and projects. Soon, Jake no longer feels a need to make a statement with his appearance, since no one really cares about how he looks. He only wants to find his true self. The Applewhites's sense of family, love of learning, and ability to accept people of all backgrounds send a strong yet subtle message. Readers will find this book appeals to them on many levels. It especially speaks to the rebel in all of us. This book will pique the interest of even the most reluctant reader. 2002, HarperCollins, 216 pp.,
KLIATT - Paula Rohrlick
To quote from the review of the hardcover in KLIATT, July 2002: With his spiked hair, piercings, and all-black clothing, 13-year-old Jake looks the part of the juvenile delinquent he's supposed to be. After all, he burnt down his school (though it was an accident) after his parents went to jail for growing marijuana, and he's been kicked out of a bunch of schools in his native Rhode Island. Now he's staying with his grandfather in rural North Carolina, and the only educational institution that will have him is the Creative Academy, the home school run by the zany Applewhite family on their farm, Wit's End. The Applewhites, from four-year-old Destiny to grandfather Zedediah, are all creative, talented, artistic types, and their haphazardly run school is more of a self-education opportunity. E.D., the almost 13-year-old daughter of the clan, feels like the odd one out—her talents lie in organization, not in art, writing, dance, or theater, like the rest of the family. But when her director father undertakes a local production of The Sound of Music, all the Applewhites throw themselves into making it a success. E.D. is indispensable as stage manager, and Jake gets a starring role in the play and discovers a passion for the stage. Just like the butterflies they hatch from caterpillars as part of a self-directed science project, the two adolescents find their wings. This is a fun, quick read that will amuse younger YAs. The Applewhites and their wacky exploits are engaging, the story moves swiftly, and Jake's gradual transformation from unhappy bad boy to eager participant in the play and in Applewhite family life is credible and satisfying. Along the way, Tolan pokes fun at theartistic temperament and at the media. An entertaining romp. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2002, HarperTrophy, 216p., Ages 12 to 15.
School Library Journal
In this laugh-out-loud novel, a young teen on the fast track to the juvenile detention center suddenly finds himself living in rural North Carolina with the outrageously eccentric Applewhite clan. Jake Semple, 13, has been expelled from a long line of schools before coming to the Applewhites to be homeschooled. This extended family forms what a visiting reporter christens an "artistic dynasty," with various creative endeavors absorbing the adults' time and attention. Jake is left largely to his own devices, since the family doesn't believe in telling their charges what or when to study. He develops a loyal following consisting of an active four-year-old and an overweight basset hound, and his transformation is complete once he becomes enmeshed in the family's production of The Sound of Music. Quirky characters, from the cub reporter to the visiting guru, add to the offbeat humor. The Applewhites' over-the-top personalities mark them as literary kin of Helen Cresswell's Bagthorpes. Running beneath the narrative that gently pokes fun at everything from sculpture to TV documentaries, though, is also the story of a boy allowing himself to belong and begin to discover his own potential. This has terrific booktalk and read-aloud potential, and will help fill the need for humorous contemporary fiction.-Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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