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Overview
Arty may be shorter than your average teen, but that doesn't mean his problems are small. If anything, they're huge. Whether he is dodging the fists of his hulking twin older brother, dealing with the other misfits in his school, helping track down the stolen school mascot, or falling in love for the first time, Arty lives his life looking up--and giving readers an unusual perspective on becoming a man.A hilarious, surprisingly moving novel from a huge talent, Funny Little Monkey heralds the arrival of a bold new comedic voice.
Arty, an abnormally short fourteen-year-old boy, enlists the help of a group of students, known at school as the "pathetic losers," to take revenge against his abusive, tall fraternal twin brother.
Synopsis
Meet Arty—a tiny teen with big problems . . . and an even bigger mouth.
Publishers Weekly
A four-foot two-inch high school freshman narrates this darkly comic debut novel. Arty Moore's diminutive stature and general meekness seem all the more striking when compared with his six-foot one-inch, bullying twin, Kurt. The boys attend Millard Fillmore High, which Arty paints as an institution that amplifies the strangest and most painful aspects of adolescence (bulletins from the school newspaper interrupt the narrative, flaunting over-the-top news and ads: "Work at Southworth Mall-Who needs school? Working is where it's at! Call 555-CASH"). In the twins' tense relationship, Kurt lashes out at his brother physically, Arty verbally. The boys' single mother tries to keep the family together: "Mom used to have the ability to see through Kurt's crap. It came from having married Dad [who].... went on to steal a car and rob a pharmacy.... she's been trying to prevent a rerun with Kurt ever since." Meanwhile, Arty strikes up a friendship with Leslie Dermott, a wealthy, beautiful overachiever, and a kid he nicknames Kerouac, the leader of some rebellious outcasts. At Arty's request, Kerouac's gang torments Kurt, and after Kurt is accused of destroying a statue of the school's mascot, Arty begins to doubt his new friendships-and must face the pain he and his brother have caused each other. The author taps into the painful experience of high school, leavened with healthy doses of hyperbole, hope and wry humor-which Auseon seems to understand just may be the best tools for teenage survival. Ages 14-up. (June) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
A four-foot two-inch high school freshman narrates this darkly comic debut novel. Arty Moore's diminutive stature and general meekness seem all the more striking when compared with his six-foot one-inch, bullying twin, Kurt. The boys attend Millard Fillmore High, which Arty paints as an institution that amplifies the strangest and most painful aspects of adolescence (bulletins from the school newspaper interrupt the narrative, flaunting over-the-top news and ads: "Work at Southworth Mall-Who needs school? Working is where it's at! Call 555-CASH"). In the twins' tense relationship, Kurt lashes out at his brother physically, Arty verbally. The boys' single mother tries to keep the family together: "Mom used to have the ability to see through Kurt's crap. It came from having married Dad [who].... went on to steal a car and rob a pharmacy.... she's been trying to prevent a rerun with Kurt ever since." Meanwhile, Arty strikes up a friendship with Leslie Dermott, a wealthy, beautiful overachiever, and a kid he nicknames Kerouac, the leader of some rebellious outcasts. At Arty's request, Kerouac's gang torments Kurt, and after Kurt is accused of destroying a statue of the school's mascot, Arty begins to doubt his new friendships-and must face the pain he and his brother have caused each other. The author taps into the painful experience of high school, leavened with healthy doses of hyperbole, hope and wry humor-which Auseon seems to understand just may be the best tools for teenage survival. Ages 14-up. (June) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Arty Moore is four-feet two-inches tall. He carries a booster seat with him to his high school classes and copes with his "disability" by noticing minute details about his classmates and giving them nicknames based on his observations. Kurt, Arty's twin brother, on the other hand, is six-feet one-inch tall and it appears that beating up Arty is his major pastime. Everything changes when Leslie Dermott transfers into the school. Leslie is beautiful, brilliant, and perfect in every way. Arty admires her throughout his American Studies classes. Then he unexpectedly meets Leslie in the grocery store. They have a conversation. She invites him first to a movie and then to visit her palatial home. Arty is totally overwhelmed, not thinking about an ulterior motive to all this friendliness until he is trapped. In the meantime, other misfit students befriend him and give him support in a plan to get even with Kurt for all the abuse he has suffered. Strange characters and unexpected twists in the plot create a memorable tale. The story contains an abundance of metaphors, most fresh and original. Teachers may look to this book for examples of this type of figurative language. 2005, Harcourt, Ages 12 to 18.—Phyllis Kennemer, Ph.D.