The Detention Club: A Humorous Underdog Story About Unlikely Friends in Middle School for Kids (Ages 8-12)

$5.59
by David Yoo

Shop Now
Detention: The best worst thing to happen to Peter Lee? Peter and his best friend, Drew, used to be so cool (or at least, not total outcasts) in elementary school. But now they're in middle school, where their extensive mica collection and prowess at kick ball have earned them a new label: losers. Things go from bad to worse when Peter gets detention. But what at first seems to spell his utter doom turns into an unlikely opportunity for making friends and influencing people. . . . Yoo adds engaging subplots (a school thief, an invention contest) and realistic conflict (tension between Peter and Drew) to his laugh-out-loud, spot-on portrayal of middle-school life - The Horn Book Praise for GIRLS FOR BREAKFAST: “Very funny and bravely rendered.” - Seattle Times Praise for GIRLS FOR BREAKFAST: “Funny, dark, and subversive. Beware: you’ll never be able to look at a guy the same way after you read this book.” - Rachel Cohn, author of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist “Yeah, [Peter and Drew are] nerdy, but not in an obnoxious way, and they actually have redemptive qualities: senses of humor that are sarcastic and self-effacing but not dark, and sensitivity for their fellow nerds, even if one of those nerds is a sister with whom one has shared a long history of enmity. Indeed, the family humor provides the brightest spark here. Readers familiar with Yoo’s YA work will be delighted and surprised by his first foray into middle-grade fiction.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “Peter and Drew’s antics will keep readers laughing. Readers will be entertained by the boys’ hijinks and empathize with their desire to fit in.” - Publishers Weekly “Peter’s earnest, myopic first-person narration is authentic and convincing, and Yoo exposes the precarious footing and shifting allegiances of middle school with a deft hand…. A mystery about the Fenwick Middle School thief contributes to the quick pace and adds a satisfactory surprise.” - ALA Booklist Praise for STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE: “It wouldn’t seem possible to make high school jocks, popular girls and losers fresh and hilarious, but Yoo does it.” - New York Times Book Review Praise for STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE: “Albert is a funny, fascinating, and infuriating character. Laugh-out-loud moments and painfully realistic scenes of student life will hold readers’ attention.” - School Library Journal Praise for STOP ME IF YOU’VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE: “So what elevates Yoo’s novel above other underdog-gets-the-girl-in-the-end fare? First, his writing is laid-back, chatty, funny, and disarmingly frank. Second, he really gets inside Albert’s head, believably channeling the thoughts and emotions of a second-generation Korean-American teenage boy.” - The Horn Book Detention: The best worst thing to happen to Peter Lee? Peter and his best friend, Drew, used to be so cool (or at least, not total outcasts) in elementary school. But now they're in middle school, where their extensive mica collection and prowess at kick ball have earned them a new label: losers. Things go from bad to worse when Peter gets detention. But what at first seems to spell his utter doom turns into an unlikely opportunity for making friends and influencing people. . . . David Yoo is the author of the teen novels Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before and Girls for Breakfast . He is also a contributor to Guys Read: Funny Business . He spends his spare time staring unblinking (in either wonder or abject horror) at his newborn son, Griffin. David lives in Massachusetts, where he teaches in the MFA program at Pine Manor College and at the Gotham Writers' Workshop.

Customer Reviews

No ratings. Be the first to rate

 customer ratings


How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Review This Product

Share your thoughts with other customers