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Twerp #2
Finding the Worm (Twerp Sequel)
The New York Post praised Twerp as “reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” Finding the Worm is a sequel that stands on its own--an unforgettable coming-of-age story about life, loss, and friendship. Perfect for fans of The Sandlot and readers who love books by Jennifer L. Holm, Andrew Clements, and Rebecca Stead.
It’s not a test unless you can fail. . . .
Trouble always seems to find thirteen-year-old Julian Twerski. First it was a bullying incident, and now he’s been accused of vandalizing a painting. The principal doesn’t want to suspend him again, so instead, he asks Julian to write a 200-word essay on good citizenship. Julian writes 200 no’s instead, and so begins an epic struggle between Julian and his principal.
Being falsely accused is bad enough, but outside of school, Julian’s dealing with even bigger issues. His friend Quentin has been really sick. How can life be fair when the nicest guy in your group has cancer? Julian’s faith and friendships are put to the test . . . and the stakes have never been higher.
Praise for Twerp:
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Summer Top Ten Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
“Reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. . . . You don’t have to be a twerp to read this book.” — New York Post
“A vivid, absorbing story about one boy’s misadventure, heartache, and hope for himself.” —Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal–winning author of When You Reach Me
“[Fans of] Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid who have matured beyond the scope and gravity of that series will find a kindred spirit in Julian.” — School Library Journal
“Reminiscent of movies like The Sandlot. . . . Well-written and funny.” — The Advocate
“Alternately poignant and comical. . . . A thought-provoking exploration of bullying, personal integrity and self-acceptance.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Funny, poignant, and an effective commentary on bullying and its consequences.” — The Horn Book Magazine
From the Hardcover edition.
It’s not a test unless you can fail. . . .
Trouble always seems to find thirteen-year-old Julian Twerski. First it was a bullying incident, and now he’s been accused of vandalizing a painting. The principal doesn’t want to suspend him again, so instead, he asks Julian to write a 200-word essay on good citizenship. Julian writes 200 no’s instead, and so begins an epic struggle between Julian and his principal.
Being falsely accused is bad enough, but outside of school, Julian’s dealing with even bigger issues. His friend Quentin has been really sick. How can life be fair when the nicest guy in your group has cancer? Julian’s faith and friendships are put to the test . . . and the stakes have never been higher.
Praise for Twerp:
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Summer Top Ten Kids’ Indie Next List Pick
“Reminiscent of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. . . . You don’t have to be a twerp to read this book.” — New York Post
“A vivid, absorbing story about one boy’s misadventure, heartache, and hope for himself.” —Rebecca Stead, Newbery Medal–winning author of When You Reach Me
“[Fans of] Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid who have matured beyond the scope and gravity of that series will find a kindred spirit in Julian.” — School Library Journal
“Reminiscent of movies like The Sandlot. . . . Well-written and funny.” — The Advocate
“Alternately poignant and comical. . . . A thought-provoking exploration of bullying, personal integrity and self-acceptance.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Funny, poignant, and an effective commentary on bullying and its consequences.” — The Horn Book Magazine
From the Hardcover edition.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2015
37 people are currently reading
367 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
February 28, 2016
Reading Mark Goldblatt's first semi-autobiographical novel Twerp with my adolescent son was an unexpected pleasure; when we stumbled on a second one recently, with the same characters, to say we were delighted would be an understatement. The books center on Julian Twerski, a middle schooler living in a NY borough with a tight posse of friends. He writes both books episodically with some levity, great "voice" and believable action. Twerp definitely had more humor, which my son appreciated more than this one, but I might have preferred this second one a bit better since its treatment of childhood cancer in one of Julian's friends as he prepares for his bar mitzvah with the rabbi allows for introspection that I appreciated. The age old question of bad things happening to good people is addressed with insight that I had never pondered in quite that way. Goldblatt is an emerging and welcome addition in books for middle school students who might want something other than dystopian fantasy. He reminds us that storytelling from the heart can be most powerful of all.
October 6, 2024
I want to give Julian the biggest hug ever. I wish there was a third book.
February 7, 2023
If I had recently lost a person close to you I would not recommend this book as one of the characters (Quinton) does, I lost my dog I had since I was born so this was really hard on me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2015
I loved Twerp and was excited to hear that there was a sequel. I read this book with my children and we all loved it! This book is great as a standalone. There are some references to incidents that happened in Twerp, but you won't feel lost if you haven't read it.
This book is set in 1970 so times were simpler. There's a group of boys who are best friends and hang out together. Their friend, Quentin, has been sick and in the hospital and they learn that he has a brain tumor. They are worried about him but are told he'll be fine so when he comes home, they treat him like they always have, but are a bit more careful with him. There are some funny things that happen, some of which involve a pinball machine and, separately, a wheelchair. He seems to be getting better and then gets sick again and it's not until the end that we find out what his diagnosis is. There were a few tears shed while reading this book.
There's also a girl involved with their group this time around. Her name is Beverly and she's anxious to race Julian to show him she's a faster runner. He has a reputation as being the fastest runner and she feels a need to beat him but he doesn't want to race a girl. It was fun to see how that storyline wrapped up. There are also some great storylines that include Julian's principal and Rabbi Salzberg.
This is a book that made us laugh, cry and think. When we were finished, my daughter (age 11) asked to read Twerp because she wanted more of this group of boys and their friendship. This book is a little more serious but I enjoyed it just as much! If you enjoy coming-of-age stories, these are ones you'll want to read!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
This book is set in 1970 so times were simpler. There's a group of boys who are best friends and hang out together. Their friend, Quentin, has been sick and in the hospital and they learn that he has a brain tumor. They are worried about him but are told he'll be fine so when he comes home, they treat him like they always have, but are a bit more careful with him. There are some funny things that happen, some of which involve a pinball machine and, separately, a wheelchair. He seems to be getting better and then gets sick again and it's not until the end that we find out what his diagnosis is. There were a few tears shed while reading this book.
There's also a girl involved with their group this time around. Her name is Beverly and she's anxious to race Julian to show him she's a faster runner. He has a reputation as being the fastest runner and she feels a need to beat him but he doesn't want to race a girl. It was fun to see how that storyline wrapped up. There are also some great storylines that include Julian's principal and Rabbi Salzberg.
This is a book that made us laugh, cry and think. When we were finished, my daughter (age 11) asked to read Twerp because she wanted more of this group of boys and their friendship. This book is a little more serious but I enjoyed it just as much! If you enjoy coming-of-age stories, these are ones you'll want to read!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
February 11, 2015
This was terrific. I was hooked (like a worm, ha ha) from the get go. Although I have yet to read Twerp, I felt an instant connection to Julian. His narration is spot on. The way he describes his thoughts and feelings is highly relatable. The book tackles a potentially depressing topic and manages to squeeze in bits of joy and beauty. Mark Goldblatt does an excellent job painting an accurate picture of Queens circa 1970. I will definitely pick up Twerp and recommend this gem to future customers.
July 5, 2015
Twerp was a great book and and I liked that very much. So I had great expectations, but it was just a terrible book.
I mean it wasn't written terribly, like the previous book it was very well written. It was just so manipulative, a tearjerker really and I don't think I am going to really like another book about cancer after reading Fault in our Stars, just like that book, this book was just so clinical in approach and has no heart, also I tend to dislike books laden with life lessons like this one. So no thanks.
I mean it wasn't written terribly, like the previous book it was very well written. It was just so manipulative, a tearjerker really and I don't think I am going to really like another book about cancer after reading Fault in our Stars, just like that book, this book was just so clinical in approach and has no heart, also I tend to dislike books laden with life lessons like this one. So no thanks.
August 1, 2015
A delightful book. Funny and poignant at the same time. Thanks to my daughter Sarah for recommending it to me.
May 1, 2015
Not just for kids - made me cry...that's all I'm going to say.
November 15, 2015
Way too long and is yet another depressing dying/dead friend story. It's the year of dead friends in MG fiction and I've read too many now.
September 28, 2019
Mark Goldblatt, the author of one of my favorite books “Finding the Worm. It is about this 13-year-old boy named Julian Twerski and his friends Eric, Howie, Quentin, Lonnie, Beverly, and Shlomo. The time is taken place around the 1960s. It mostly circles around Julian and his life. Now Julian finds out that his best friend Quentin has a brain tumor, meaning he has cancer. This takes a toll on Julian’s life making him mostly think about why God gave Quentin cancer. I might repeat what I'm saying right now but, this book is filled with surprises.
My opinion on this book is that it’s really good! I pretty much enjoyed this book because of how related it was to my life. This book felt as though it was present just waiting to be opened and smack you right in the face with all these surprises, good and bad. Now I didn’t read the first book, “Twerp” so there were connections that were made to that book that I didn’t understand. I really hope to get a chance to read “Twerp” so that I can see what had happened to Julian last year in his school.
I'm giving it 5 stars because of how humorous and heartwarming this book is. The bonds between the gang, and the humor they share, the jokes they make, just tie it up. But actually I think what actually ties this “present” is the surprises. Another reason for me rating it 5 stars is how they treated Quinn since he had cancer, they tried making him feel better and always hung out with him, that made me see that the right friends can make you feel good.
The theme of “Finding the Worm” is that “surprises can be big or small, so be ready when opening that present”. What I'm trying to say is that you should be ready for anything. Like throughout Julian’s he goes through these situations that may surprise or either just let him go “Oh okay…” It’s like maybe some people who say be careful about what may come for you, they’re just trying to say to be careful about the situations you might come across, and I might have to agree. I recommend you read “Finding the Worm”, and I hope I was careful of not spilling the spoilers.
My opinion on this book is that it’s really good! I pretty much enjoyed this book because of how related it was to my life. This book felt as though it was present just waiting to be opened and smack you right in the face with all these surprises, good and bad. Now I didn’t read the first book, “Twerp” so there were connections that were made to that book that I didn’t understand. I really hope to get a chance to read “Twerp” so that I can see what had happened to Julian last year in his school.
I'm giving it 5 stars because of how humorous and heartwarming this book is. The bonds between the gang, and the humor they share, the jokes they make, just tie it up. But actually I think what actually ties this “present” is the surprises. Another reason for me rating it 5 stars is how they treated Quinn since he had cancer, they tried making him feel better and always hung out with him, that made me see that the right friends can make you feel good.
The theme of “Finding the Worm” is that “surprises can be big or small, so be ready when opening that present”. What I'm trying to say is that you should be ready for anything. Like throughout Julian’s he goes through these situations that may surprise or either just let him go “Oh okay…” It’s like maybe some people who say be careful about what may come for you, they’re just trying to say to be careful about the situations you might come across, and I might have to agree. I recommend you read “Finding the Worm”, and I hope I was careful of not spilling the spoilers.
January 30, 2024
Finding the worm has a complicated title, but it has heart. This story is about Julian, "Jules", Tweski, a Jewish person living in Flushing, Queens. It is a superb book, of decent writing. In the end, the themes in this book were very thought-provoking. The style, in regards to using many commas and ands, added to the experience of being a relatable book. A brief description: Quentin, "Quick Quentin", has a tumor. The kids on the block, Lonnie, Shlomo, Julian, Eric, and Howie, who live in the Dorado House or such named buildings, go on with their lives, and Julian, whose Bar Mitzvah is coming up, learns from the rabbi (a very good character with witty lines) about death. All the while, Julian Tweski records his thoughts about life and all the events that happen during this time. It was interesting reading a book that portrayed the 70s and life in New York so well, painting a vivid picture of the activities of those living in this time. Many of the landmarks described within this book I could find on the Internet; likewise with the baseball players. It's a sequel to the book TWERP but you don't have to read that one (it does give you some spoilers though). All in all, a sad and thoughtful book at the end, but some middle parts, describing their daily activities, were a little "meh". It is a contemplative realistic fiction book with good dialogue.
November 12, 2016
Goldblatt, Mark Finding the Worm, 344 pgs. Random House Children’s Books, 2015. $16.99. Language: G (1 swear, hell); Mature Content: PG; Violence PG.
Julian Twerski is a 7th grader in the fast track at McMaster’s Junior High during the 1969-1970 school year. Twerski has a lot going on as he tries to prepare for his bar mitzvah, deals with a school bully, takes on a school assigned essay for a crime he didn’t commit, and deals with the illness of his friend. Julian Twerski has some great friends in the Thirty-Fourth Avenue gang, a group of kids hailing from the same zip code, except that one of their number, Quentin, is dealing with a brain tumor.
Goldblatt takes some difficult topics and makes them engaging and accessible. This book was delightfully written. Finding the Worm is totally readable without having read Twerp, which comes first.
MS-ESSENTIAL. Michelle in the Middle
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
Julian Twerski is a 7th grader in the fast track at McMaster’s Junior High during the 1969-1970 school year. Twerski has a lot going on as he tries to prepare for his bar mitzvah, deals with a school bully, takes on a school assigned essay for a crime he didn’t commit, and deals with the illness of his friend. Julian Twerski has some great friends in the Thirty-Fourth Avenue gang, a group of kids hailing from the same zip code, except that one of their number, Quentin, is dealing with a brain tumor.
Goldblatt takes some difficult topics and makes them engaging and accessible. This book was delightfully written. Finding the Worm is totally readable without having read Twerp, which comes first.
MS-ESSENTIAL. Michelle in the Middle
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
February 7, 2017
In the book "Finding the worm" a young boy named Julian, has learned that being trustworthy is from relationships and not just from saying "I am telling the truth". After Julian was accused of marking his initials into a very nice painting. He had to write a whole story about Citizenship and instead of writing him 200 worded essay, he wrote the word "no" 200 times. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in climactic story plots and emotional meaning. I feel like this book deserves four at of five stars because although it has such a great story plot and is very entertaining to read, I feel like they could have changed some parts to really hook the reader to keep going.
August 22, 2021
I loved the Twerp, and as with any sequel, I was anxious to reunite with the characters, but worried that it would not be as great as the first book. I need not have worried because the book is equal to the first.
Continuing with a great sense of place in Flushing, Queens, Julian Twerski deals with a friend with a brain tumor, first love, his bar mitzvah, and an unfair punishment for something he didn't do. There is humor, there is heartbreak, and there are so many Jewish values, especially the love of friends. The Rabbi can be a bit acerbic, but his words of wisdom help Julian make some sense of his life: "It's not a test if there is no chance of failing."
Such a great book.
Continuing with a great sense of place in Flushing, Queens, Julian Twerski deals with a friend with a brain tumor, first love, his bar mitzvah, and an unfair punishment for something he didn't do. There is humor, there is heartbreak, and there are so many Jewish values, especially the love of friends. The Rabbi can be a bit acerbic, but his words of wisdom help Julian make some sense of his life: "It's not a test if there is no chance of failing."
Such a great book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2022
Finding the Worm by Mark Goldblatt was a good book; I liked the first book better though. Julian’s always dating his friends crush…what’s that about? Actually! Why are these girls falling for Julian anyways?? The whole time it felt like Julian was dodging them. I guess him showing disinterest made him more attractive. Quintin’s death broke my heart. I watched a sad movie a few days back. The girl died of cancer right before her wedding day. I balled my eyes out, I definitely wasn’t ready for Quintins passing. But death is apart of life. It happens. I recommend this book to my brother, he has an attitude problem just like Julian.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2017
When Julian is wrongfully accused of defacing a painting at the school his principal asks Julian to write a 200 word essay on what good citizenship means. Julian refuses to write the essay on general principles, but gradually comes to understand the deeper meaning of the essay. Set as a back drop to the story, one of Julian's friends is diagnosed with a brain tumor, and he is preparing for his Bar Mitzvah
May 24, 2021
I loved this book. I read it to my son, who also enjoyed it, but not as much as I did. The inner emotional lives of the seventh grade boys were so rich and revealing. I felt like I was getting some understanding into how my son processes his feelings and thinks about his friends and relationships. That felt really precious. Also, Julian Twerski was a great character.
June 5, 2021
It was a very good read and a nice story. It definitely had some very, very powerful messages in this story and I think that people who read this story will definitely benefit from this book. This is the sequel to Twerp. This story is narrated by Julian Twerski and we go through his journey with his gang of friends that go through the stage of coming-of-age, life, loss, and true friendship.
September 24, 2017
I previewed this book for our school library. It is excellent! Much better than the first book. I think it is because the first one tries too hard to teach you a lesson and falls short because of the story, while this book just has a great story that happens to teach a lesson.
January 4, 2020
A sad but touching story. I liked the narrator's voice. The adult characters felt more fleshed out than most of the kids, but I appreciated the argument Beverly had with the protagonist about sexism. The Rabbi and Amelia were probably my favorite characters. 3/5 stars.
October 10, 2023
Much better than the first book. I think it is because the first one tries too hard to teach you a lesson and falls short because of the story, while this book just has a great story that happens to teach a lesson.
October 19, 2024
I personally think this is a REALLY GOOD book it teaches us about friendship. And how Julian Twerski went through the process of growing up. Its really relatable and has a tad bit of romance WHICH I LOVE. Highly recommend to middle schoolers and people who are going through this stage.
May 22, 2017
Great characters, engaging plot, some major life lessons that beg for further reflection, lots of humor, and some truly serious moments - all in all, an excellent sequel to Twerp.
October 8, 2017
Probably helps to read Twerp closer to this one than I did. I didn't feel much connection to the characters. Interesting read on it's own, but felt a little lost at times.
October 25, 2017
Sad, but also funny. It was a pleasant read.
December 7, 2017
Wow.
I felt the beginning was a little slow, but the end was spectacular. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. A novel everyone should read.
I felt the beginning was a little slow, but the end was spectacular. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. A novel everyone should read.
March 6, 2018
It was an amazing sequel to Twerp and I guarantee that at points in the book you'll laugh and cry.
May 17, 2018
It was pretty good, I didn't understand some parts of me not being Jewish but overall a really great book.
December 2, 2018
Very good book with lots of twists and turns, and some good life lessons too.
January 5, 2019
Very sad
Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews