Spanking Shakespeare
by Jake Wizner
by Jake Wizner
SPANKING SHAKESPEARE by Jake Wizner
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 9/25/07
Publisher: Random House
Reviewed by: JodiG.
Rating: 5 Stars
Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name. It is one in a long line of things that his parents have done to make his life
miserable. The rest of his life isn’t going very well either. Shakespeare actually describes his life as a series of
catastrophes. Now he is beginning his senior in high school, has never kissed a girl, and has only made two friends. His
younger brother, Gandhi, is popular and has a girlfriend. And his parents, well, they are a unique force to be reckoned
with.
Now that he is in the twelfth grade, Shakespeare has to do his school’s senior project; write a memoir about his life so
far. The good news is that Shakespeare is a skillful writer. The bad? How truthful would you want to be if your life was
made up of mortifying, embarrassing moments?
In addition to his memoir, Shakespeare is also dealing with the usual high school issues: girls (or a lack of them), sex (or
a lack of it), popularity (again—a lack of it), and family. And now his two best friends, Neil and Katie, are hooking up.
SPANKING SHAKESPEARE is a hilariously funny look at the life of a very unique teenage boy. It is written in a dual
style; a narrative of Shakespeare’s everyday life combined with chapters from his memoir. Author Jake Wizner takes
readers through the life of one of the smartest and funniest characters in young adult fiction today. SPANKING
SHAKESPEARE will have you laughing out loud.
Category: Contemporary
Age Recommendation: Grades 9+
Release Date: 9/25/07
Publisher: Random House
Reviewed by: JodiG.
Rating: 5 Stars
Shakespeare Shapiro hates his name. It is one in a long line of things that his parents have done to make his life
miserable. The rest of his life isn’t going very well either. Shakespeare actually describes his life as a series of
catastrophes. Now he is beginning his senior in high school, has never kissed a girl, and has only made two friends. His
younger brother, Gandhi, is popular and has a girlfriend. And his parents, well, they are a unique force to be reckoned
with.
Now that he is in the twelfth grade, Shakespeare has to do his school’s senior project; write a memoir about his life so
far. The good news is that Shakespeare is a skillful writer. The bad? How truthful would you want to be if your life was
made up of mortifying, embarrassing moments?
In addition to his memoir, Shakespeare is also dealing with the usual high school issues: girls (or a lack of them), sex (or
a lack of it), popularity (again—a lack of it), and family. And now his two best friends, Neil and Katie, are hooking up.
SPANKING SHAKESPEARE is a hilariously funny look at the life of a very unique teenage boy. It is written in a dual
style; a narrative of Shakespeare’s everyday life combined with chapters from his memoir. Author Jake Wizner takes
readers through the life of one of the smartest and funniest characters in young adult fiction today. SPANKING
SHAKESPEARE will have you laughing out loud.
