Module 7: Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan

Summary

Jake Semple is very familiar with school detention. After a series of visits to school detention he eventually gets kicked out of school and ends up living with the Applewhites, a strange family with odd eccentricities. He attends their Creative Academy, which has no structure whatsoever, and tries to deal with all of the odd personalities of the Applewhite clan. He becomes transformed and because of the oddness of the Applewhites, realizes he is not as strange as he thought he was.

Bibliographic Citation

Tolan, S. (2002). Surviving the Applewhites. New York: Harper Collins.

Impressions

Although the characters are interesting, this was not one of my favorite books. There is a lot of humor contained in the story, but it takes a while to build and some readers may lose interest in it. The character E.D. is interesting and her journey in trying to distance herself from her odd family reminded me of the character of Marilyn from the television show, The Munsters.

Reviews

This is an engaging presentation of Tolan’s 2003 Newbery Honor book. Pierced, spiky-haired Jake Semple is sent to live with a chaotic family of artistic geniuses after he sets his school on fire. Poetess Lucille Applewhite allows Jake to attend the Creative Academy, much to the chagrin of her 12-year-old niece, E. D. Although the book often reads like a screwball comedy, narrator Leonard wisely underplays some of the craziness. He brings a delicacy to E. D.’s adolescent angst, easily conveys Jake’s emerging humanity, and outdoes himself with a hilariously manic portrayal of a four-year-old chatterbox. The Applewhites’ eccentricities are conveyed with a zesty energy. Explosive guitar music adds to the rollicking spirit. — Brian Wilson Reviewed June 1, 2004-Booklist

Gr 5-8-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
Reviewed September 1, 2002-School Library Journal


Library Settings

This book may be useful in a summer reading display. It also could possibly be used in a book talk program highlighting the theme of accepting differences in others.