A heartwarming and inspiring juvenile chapter book.
Franklin Middle School is no place for the faint of heart. Fortunately, Silas Fitzgerald doesn’t lack courage. True, he lacks physical height due to a frustrating growth hormone deficiency, but that only makes him look smaller and younger than his nearly 12 years might indicate. On the inside, though, Silas has to be tough. Between dealing with the declining health of his favorite person in the world, Grandpa Pete, and a lifelong medical condition that leaves him looking like an escapee from the local elementary school, Silas knows how to tackle adversity. But that doesn’t mean he likes it! And what sixth grader would want to be called little guy, our little friend, eager beaver or cutie on their first day in a new school? But with a big heart and a brave spirit, Silas keeps moving ahead, compartmentalizing the insults and jeers, the endless injections and medical conversations, and the feeling of being completely overlooked and underestimated. His days are filled with often unanswered emails to his grandpa, unwanted group assignments in class, and an unlikely but essential group of band kids who all bond over their differences. Together, these self-appointed misfits decide to take fate into their own hands. Silas may be the smallest kid in school, but he stands up to the biggest bully of them all.
Small Fry, a heartwarming and inspiring juvenile chapter book by author Stephenie Wilson Peterson, is an absolute must read for any child enduring the rigors of public education. The book is written in a simple and engaging style that reliably embodies the voice and perspective of a pre-teen. Readers get two versions of the accounts through sanitized emails that are sent to Grandpa Pete, alternating with more fleshed out and unedited versions of the day-to-day activities as seen through Silas’s eyes. While there are moments that are emotionally difficult to read as Silas endures thoughtless teachers or unimaginative school bullies, the narrative also includes plenty of humor and mirth, helping the book achieve a balance that makes it a delight to read. Sharp wit and vivid imagination take over as Silas relates his school adventures, coaxing a smile from readers during even the most heartbreaking scenes of adolescent torture. The irony of always having an advantage in a game of hide-and-seek or that such a tiny kid plays a giant sousaphone isn’t wasted on the ever-perceptive and low-key Silas. Whether facing bullies at school or an uncommon medical condition, Silas’s reactions show that sometimes the most powerful weapon we have when facing adversity is a sense of humor. This charismatic book will appeal to readers of all ages and backgrounds because it tackles important themes, such as diversity, inclusion, friendship, family, courage and leadership, with unerring lightness and ease. Small Fry shows that being different is not a weakness, but a strength and that no matter what trials we face, we can make a positive impact in the world.
