In The Next Great Paulie Fink, Ali Benjamin draws from pop culture, Shakespeare and ancient Greek civilization…to explore how legends and stories are made…Benjamin has written a funny and fast-paced romp…So it's a triumph that the book's real strength lies in Caitlyn's struggle to figure out who she will be among kids who are insistently themselves.

★ 02/20/4

A wildly imaginative but never mean-spirited prankster, Paulie Fink was the life of Mitchell School. When he doesn’t appear on the first day of seventh grade, his classmates (called the “Originals,” since they are the school’s inaugural class) are bereft and largely ignore new-girl Caitlyn. Missing her old friends, play-by-the-rules Caitlyn scoffs at her classmates’ eccentricities and those of the easygoing school, located in an old Vermont mansion whose lawn boasts dilapidated statues of gods and where goats trim the overgrown soccer field. To “pull Paulie back to us,” the Originals stage a reality TV–style competition to “find someone to play the role of Paulie. Someone whose official job it is to make school... memorable,” and they recruit Caitlyn to concoct challenges that reflect Paulie’s spirit. Benjamin (The Thing About Jellyfish) adroitly fleshes out her witty premise—and Paulie’s charismatic personality—through Caitlyn’s narration, interviews with Originals and administrators, and reflections on the ancient Greek beliefs taught in class. Genuinely original, the novel offers thoughtful perspectives on friendship, accepting change, and the many rewarding guises of storytelling, as well as a fully gratifying ending that the characters don’t see coming. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

Praise for The Next Great Paulie Fink:
A ParentsMagazine 30 Best Kids' Books of 2019
A LAPL Best Books of 2019
A NYPL Best Books of 2019
A KirkusReviews Best Children's Books of 2019
A PublishersWeekly Best Books of 2019

A PublishersWeekly Most Anticipated Children's Book of Spring 2019
An Amazon Best Book of the Month for April 2019

"A funny and fast-paced romp."
—The New York Times

* "A story with massive heart... A book to make readers think, question, reach, laugh, and strive harder."
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "A witty, tender, and utterly engaging modern school story that draws on the wisdom of the ages."—School Library Journal, starred review

* "Genuinely original, the novel offers thoughtful perspectives on friendship, accepting change, and the many rewarding guises of storytelling, as well as a fully gratifying ending that the characters don't see coming."
—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "A beautiful, powerful novel about embracing one's own great self, even—or especially—in middle school."—Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Benjamin strikes a nice balance of goofy, often physical comedy...with introspection...for a look at shifting middle-school identities and the strange chaos they bring."
—BCCB

"Takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery."—School Library Connection

"Sympathetic."
—Booklist

"Wise and funny."—The Wall Street Journal

"A middle school story to top all middle school stories."
—The Buffalo News

"An inspirational story about finding your place in an unfamiliar community and learning that normal is not always better."—The Denver Post

"Laugh-out-loud funny."—Horn Book

"You'll love this new favorite about being the new kid at school, and dealing with bullies, and becoming something different."—Romper

Praise for The Thing About Jellyfish:

A 2015 National Book Award Finalist
A New York Times Bestseller
An Indiebound Bestseller
An E.B. White Read-aloud Book Award Finalist
An Amazon Editor's Best Book of the 2015
A 2015 GoodReads Choice Award Finalist
An Amazon Editors' Fall Favorite Children's Book
A Booklist Top Ten First Novel of 2015
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2015



*"A painful story smartly told, Benjamin's first solo novel has appeal well beyond a middle school audience."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

*"Reminiscent of works by Jennifer L. Holm and Sharon Creech...a shining example of the highs and lows of early adolescence."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

*"Authentic and poignant...[a] superbly written, heartfelt novel."—School Library Journal, starred review

*"Clean, fluid writing that is highly accessible, yet rich with possibilities for discussion.... An uncommonly fine first novel."—Booklist, starred review

*"Just-right pacing, authentic voices and characters, beautifully crafted plot, and superb writing. Readers will find that this story lingers with them after the book is closed."—VOYA, starred review

"There are...a lot of children who might not only benefit from this book but also find themselves deeply moved by it."—New York Times Book Review

★ 09/01/2019

Gr 3–7—Caitlyn was apprehensive of moving to remote Mitchell, VT, and she doesn't feel any better about it on the first day of school. Classes at Mitchell School are held in a ramshackle, well-worn mansion and the Originals, her seventh grade classmates—all 10 of them—are given additional character-building responsibilities: lunchtime with kindergarteners and feeding the school goats. However, it is the absence of the Great Paulie Fink that causes chaotic ruckus among the Originals. Paulie's wildly imaginative, pushing-the-envelope antics were legendary among his classmates; he was the glue that held the Originals together. The solution? Find the Next Great Paulie Fink. Unbiased and rule-driven Caitlyn is chosen to be the contest creator, judge, and jury. In the end, they succeed, but in ways they never imagined. Threads of ancient Greek culture are cleverly woven throughout this poignant and humorous coming-of-age novel that tactfully showcases tougher topics such as bullying and accepting change. Gold star narration provided by Cassandra Morris, Zach Villa, Cameron Bowen, and Adam McArthur perfectly capture each well-developed character. VERDICT A top pick for tweens.—Cheryl Preisendorfer, Twinsburg City School District, OH

★ 02/01/2019

Gr 5–8—Caitlyn has spent her sixth grade year learning the rules of middle school survival, and, while not attaining "silver dollar" social status, has secured a place among the other shiny "quarters." When her mother gets a new job and they move to rural Vermont, Caitlyn must reconsider everything she thought she knew, including the social hierarchy and her place in it. First of all, the Mitchell school, housed in a ramshackle old estate, resembles a haunted mansion. The kids are assigned to care for a herd of goats that are grooming their soccer field and are expected to have lunch with assigned kindergarten buddies. Secondly, there are only 11 students in the entire seventh grade and they are in no way cool. Her classmates are devastated to learn that Paulie Fink, the legendary class prankster and creator of chaos, has not returned to Mitchell and they are too distraught to welcome Caitlyn. When the kids decide to hold a reality TV–type competition for the next great Paulie Fink, Caitlyn is chosen as the logical impartial arbiter. She uses oral histories and interviews to get to know her classmates as they demythologize this larger-than-life figure and learns a great deal about her own strengths in the process. Benjamin has crafted a smart, funny, and deeply felt coming of age story that middle schoolers will relate to and find themselves ruminating on. She incorporates allegories from the ancient Greeks to examine assumptions and to question one's place in the community and in the world. VERDICT A witty, tender, and utterly engaging modern school story that draws on the wisdom of the ages.—Luann Toth, School Library Journal

Four narrators bring to life an unusual rural school in Vermont. When legendary prankster Paulie Fink doesn’t return for seventh grade, his classmates miss him so much that they hold a contest to name the next great Paulie Fink. The new girl, Caitlyn, acts as organizer and judge. Narrating from Caitlyn’s perspective, Cassandra Morris engagingly carries most of the performance, giving Caitlyn a cynical tone as she interviews her classmates. We hear the other kids’ voices as they tell their stories about the infamous Paulie, and teachers chime in, too. Most notable is Zach Villa’s delivery of Diego’s hyperventilating laughter as he recounts a particularly funny escapade. A relatable story with wit and heart, this audiobook will make listeners think about philosophical questions as well as laugh. S.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine