"The Misfits" by James Howe

Overall, I thought "The Misfits" was an excellent book in that it touched on many ideas that all of us have most likely experienced while we were in school. Many of the themes in the story were fantastic, in that they encompassed a broad variety of controversial topics, such as homosexual peers, name calling, and multiculturalism. Personally, I was able to relate to many of the experiences - and there were many parts of the book where I personally related. For example, in one part of the book Addie (a student of color) does not want to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance. Consequently, Addie gets in trouble because the teacher perceives it as a sign of disrespect towards herself and her country. In my personal experience, I recall an Arab student in one of my classes not standing for the Pledge of Allegiance because of his beliefs that American government treated his people unfairly.

Aside from relating my own experiences to Howe's novel, I believe this story is essential in magnifying the consequences of name-calling in schools, and the detrimental effects it may have on the individual. I always found it interesting that some of the characters in the book nonchalantly name-called with no negative intentions - as they thought their friends didn't care. However, I am sure we all know as children that even if someone does not intend on hurting us with certain words, they can still bother us. This novel would be an excellent addition to any middle-school classroom. It covers many topics that children at that age are dealing with, as well as contains a multitude of characters that almost any child may be able to relate with. This story would be an excellent discussion tool in the classroom to spark conversations about name-calling, and their effects on their peers. If students are able to talk to each other on the same level about the same story, they may be able to be more sympathetic towards one another and be discouraged to use name-calling so casually.