Pottymouth and Stoopid

by James Patterson, Stephen Gilpin (Illustrator)

Overview

In this "superwonderrific" (Jerry Spinelli) New York Times bestselling story, two best friends use laughter to turn the tables on their bullies.

David and his best friend Michael were tagged with awful nicknames way back in preschool when everyone did silly things. Fast-forward to seventh grade: "Pottymouth" and "Stoopid" are still stuck with the names—and everyone in school, including the teachers and their principal, believe the unfair labels are true. So how do they go about changing everyone's minds? By turning their misery into megastardom on TV, of course!
 
This important story delivers more than just laughs—it shows that the worst bullying isn't always physical . . . and that things will get better. Full of hilarious and engaging illustrations, this critically acclaimed, bestselling novel will have kids laughing out loud, and is also a great conversation starter for parents to read alongside their kids!
 
Official Notice to Parents:
There is no actual pottymouthing or stupidity in this entire book!
(Psst, kids: that second part might not be entirely true.)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316514989
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/05/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	242,271
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time. The creator of the Middle School and Treasure Hunters series, he founded JIMMY Patterson to publish books that young readers will love. He lives in Florida with his family.
 

Hometown:

Palm Beach, Florida

Date of Birth:

March 22, 1947

Place of Birth:

Newburgh, New York

Education:

B.A., Manhattan College, 1969; M.A., Vanderbilt University, 1971

Website:

http://www.jamespatterson.com

Editorial Reviews

05/01/2017
Patterson and Grabenstein, the team behind the I Funny series, introduce two beleaguered but resilient seventh graders. Despite their stratospheric IQs, best friends David, who is white, and Michael, who is black, have been saddled with the nicknames Stoopid and Pottymouth following incidents involving a botched math problem and an invented vocabulary, respectively. As the boys struggle with their unfair reputations, the authors tackle bullies, unexpected friendships, and family troubles with comedy and poignancy. Michael’s foster parents are slackers with actual potty mouths, David’s grandfather dies unexpectedly, and David’s mother works three jobs to make ends meet while his deadbeat “Ex-Dad” parlays the boys’ school travails into a hit TV series. Both clever and sweet, the revenge the friends exact bonds them to other outsiders at their school and to the TV show’s writers. Gilpin’s cartoons build on the story’s many jokes, interludes from classmates and family members flesh out the boys’ world, and the friends’ hard-fought victory feels very well earned. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: (for Patterson) Robert Barnett, Williams & Connolly; (for Grabenstein) Eric Myers, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Illustrator’s agency: Shannon Associates. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Pottymouth and Stoopid:


An instant New York Times bestseller!
An IndieBound bestseller!

"I have one word for this book: SUPERWONDERRIFIC!"
—Jerry Spinelli, Newberry Medal-winning author of Maniac Magee and Stargirl

"This book is light and mighty. Funny and honest. And, in the words of one kid (who lives in my house), 'It's like he wrote about the people in my school (minus the limos and flufferknuckles, of course). Pottymouth and Stoopid is really, really good."
—Kwame Alexander, Newberry Medal-winning author of The Crossover

"A deeply satisfying twist that turns two seventh-graders haunted by nicknames bestowed in preschool into culture heroes. Readers will applaud as the two best buds find themselves at the head of a veritable army of geeks and brains with similarly disparaging nicknames. 'Awesometastic!'"

—Booklist

"Patterson and Grabenstein, the team behind the I Funny series, introduce two beleaguered but resilient seventh graders. As the boys struggle with their unfair reputations, the authors tackle bullies, unexpected friendships, and family troubles with comedy and poignancy. Gilpin's cartoons build on the story's many jokes, interludes from classmates and family members flesh out the boys' world, and the friends' hard-fought victory feels very well earned."—Publisher's Weekly

"Pottymouth and Stoopid take on bullies and tough times with friendship and the power of funny!"
—Eric Kahn Gale, author of The Bully Book

"Readers can't help but laugh at the antics David and Michael perform, but through their story, readers are shown that the worst bullying is not always physical."—School Library Connection

"Readers will be amused by Pottymouth and Stoopid's shenanigans [...] Entertaining."—Kirkus

"A funny, poignant tale of two quirky boys who suffer from years of endless teasing. Pottymouth and Stoopid triumph in the end, but only after reminding us how painful bullying can be. Boys are going to love this story."
—Dr. Michael Thompson, New York Times bestselling co-author of Raising Cain

"Silly, insightful and triumphant...You'll remember this book and these boys for a long time."
—Carrie Jones, New York Times bestelling author of the Needseries, Time Stoppers, and co-editor of Dear Bully

From the Publisher

05/01/2017
Gr 3–5—David and Michael are two typical students who have been tagged with terrible nicknames, which have moved with them from grade to grade. Their experiences with bullying are shared through David's first-person account, which is filled with cartoon-style illustrations throughout. David and Michael are understood only by David's grandfather. The boys' bond with Grandpa Johnny is heartwarming. Problems with divorced parents and foster parents are addressed but only in passing. Many of the boys' attempts to impress classmates are chuckle-worthy, and readers will laugh at their made-up words and cheer on these two likable boys and their friend Anna Brittannica. Unlike other books about bullying, this one offers alternative solutions to handling everyday situations—for instance, the boys often calmly respond, "Uh huh, right back atcha!" The simple lessons will speak to bullies and bullied alike. The title may deter some adults, but kids will embrace the silliness and enjoy this relatable tale. VERDICT A solid addition to collections serving upper middle grade and middle school readers. Hand to fans of goofy, realistic school stories.—Elizabeth Swartz, Warrior Run School District, PA

School Library Journal

2017-04-17
Sludgepuggle! Pottymouth and Stoopid take on relentless bullies, terrible teachers, and a dastardly Ex-Dad.Twelve-year-olds Michael and David have been best friends—and the objects of widespread ridicule—since preschool. Now they're in seventh grade, and things are still pretty much the same. Everyone still calls David "Stoopid," because he once accidentally spilled some paint, and Michael "Pottymouth," because he responds with creative expletives when provoked ("Rrrrrggghhh, hicklesnicklepox! David isn't stupid, you flufferknuckles!"). David's divorced parents and Michael's churlish foster parents are no help, and when a new TV show appears on the Cartoon Factory network, things take a turn…for the worse. As with Patterson and Grabenstein's previous collaborations, the combination of short chapters and comical illustrations (here courtesy of Gilpin) targets fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This iteration aims, not quite successfully in its broad strokes, to reflect a slightly more diverse crowd—the vast majority of primary characters are white, but Michael is black, and the story also touches on children's experiences with divorced parents, (bad) foster parents, and families with lower incomes. Readers will be amused by Pottymouth and Stoopid's shenanigans, bolstered occasionally by the brainy Anna Britannica (chubby and white and another victim of the school's charismatic bully), but the generally formulaic tale delivers few truly funny or memorable moments. An entertaining—but not particularly original—addition to the perennially relevant genre. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews