<b>"A vivid, absorbing story about one boy’s misadventure, heartache, and hope for himself."</b> --Rebecca Stead, Newbery Award-winning author of <i>When You Reach Me</i><br><i><br>It's not like I meant for him to get hurt. . .</i> .<br><br>Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.<br><br>Inspired by Mark Goldblatt's own childhood growing up in 1960s Queens, <i>Twerp </i>shines with humor and heart. This remarkably powerful story will have readers laughing and crying right along with these flawed but unforgettable characters.<br><br><b>"Mark Goldblatt is an amazingly wonderful writer."</b> --Chris Grabenstein, <i>New York Times</i> bestselling author of <i>Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library</i><br><br>"<b>[Fans of] Jeff Kinney's <i>Diary of a Wimpy Kid</i></b> who have matured beyond the scope and gravity of that series <b>will find a kindred spirit in Julian</b>." --<i>School Library Journal</i><br><br><br><i>From the Hardcover edition.</i>