It figures -- Origami -- Angie -- Summer lost and found -- Stars -- Sci-fi novel -- Mom speaks -- Antidote -- Rhymes with Harvey -- Unique -- Portrait -- Perfect -- Joe -- Best friend -- Knock-knock -- Me and Joe -- Alien -- Tuesday -- Phone call -- Dance with my father -- Saturday play -- In the next room -- Sunday dinner -- September -- Checkmate -- Dressing for school -- Day one -- Too-skinny-for-words -- Day two -- Foiled -- Second period -- Short week -- Dinner -- Drop in -- Shoulder-pad season -- Late-night snack -- Shadow -- Diet -- Stealthy dresser -- Secret -- Fast run -- Limits -- A slice of truth -- Photo album -- Luther's sad song, again -- Morning classes -- Who says? -- Second thoughts -- Fear -- Turtle -- Busted -- Shift -- Getting in the groove -- Garvey's choice -- Lighter than air -- Pact -- First warm-ups -- Chorus calamity -- Emmanuel -- Saturday catch-up -- It's Manny, now -- No words needed -- Careful, now -- Eliana -- Where'd that come from? -- Advice -- His words -- Come to think of it -- Name game -- Perks -- Weekend wonder: Manny's spicy portobello burger supreme -- Rehearsal -- Three bears -- Natasha Bedingfield sings my song -- When I sing -- A spoonful of song -- High school half day -- Announcement -- Manny's turn to be brave -- Practice -- Word web -- Preparation -- Scales -- The change bell -- Insult -- Good company -- Facing the mirror -- Assembly -- Let down -- Thanks for the push -- Aftermath -- New fan -- Compliments -- Less than perfect -- Introductions -- Too soon good-bye -- On the move -- Spring thaw -- Colors -- Turn around -- Now it's my turn -- First contact -- The talk -- Summer duet -- Tanka

"Garvey's father has always wanted Garvey to be athletic, but Garvey is interested in astronomy, science fiction, reading--anything but sports. Feeling like a failure, he comforts himself with food. Garvey is kind, funny, smart, a loyal friend, and he is also overweight, teased by bullies, and lonely. When his only friend encourages him to join the school chorus, Garvey's life changes. The chorus finds a new soloist in Garvey, and through chorus, Garvey finds a way to accept himself, and a way to finally reach his distant father--by speaking the language of music instead of the language of sports"--

620L

Decoding demand: 74 (high) Semantic demand: 97 (very high) Syntactic demand: 79 (high) Structure demand: 90 (very high)

A Junior Library Guild selection (JLG.)

Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Honor ; 2017