Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie by David Lubar, Dutton Children’s Books, 2005.
ISBN: 978-0525473114

Plot Summary

Scott Hudson is excited to start high school with his best friends Patrick, Kyle and Mitch. Although the four boys know that freshmen year will be slightly intimidating Scott is certain they will be able to survive if only they continue to band together. Unfortunately, the group starts to fall apart when Patrick moves, Kyle joins the wrestling team, and Mitch begins dating. Although Scott is saddened by the group’s impending dissolution, he is busy himself with a host of extracurriculars as he tries to impress the beautiful Julia. But even though he joins all the clubs she does he seems to be beneath her notice. What’s more, he soon becomes overwhelmed as he tries to balance his mounting homework with drama, the school paper, and student council. Will he be able to win the fair Julia’s heart before his work load manages to kill him?

Critical Evaluation

While Lubar’s writing is excellent it is Scott’s honest voice that makes Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie truly great. Through Scott, Lubar has found a pitch perfect way of describing the experience of a freshman and masterfully depicts all the highs and lows found within the first year of high school. Through Scott’s witty, self-deprecating humor readers will come to love and see themselves in the overworked freshman. Perhaps the best part of the novel is Scott’s multiple lists, which are at times almost laugh-out-loud funny. For example, in Scott Hudson’s Guide to Teacher Types, Scott details the Newbie, the Legend, the Ogre, the Enthusiast, the Lifer, the Lame Duck, the Comic, and the Natural, which most students will easily be able to relate to having had most, if not all, the teacher types themselves. Also, Scott’s way of describing his feelings perfectly mirrors how many teenagers feel. For example, when his English teacher tells the class he has a treat for them Scott writes, “If it was a mattress and a blanket, I’d be happy” (Lubar, 2005, p. 33). No doubt teenagers will relate to Scott’s sleep deprivation as they too struggle to fit homework into an already packed schedule.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie is a particularly pleasurable book for those who self-identify as readers. Scott, a reader himself, mentions multiple titles throughout the novel and readers will no doubt enjoy seeing the books they love to read mentioned by Scott (such as The Princess Bride and The Three Musketeers). In fact, Scott’s academic pursuits, especially his creative articles, are part of what make Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie so much fun. Readers will no doubt admire and root for Scott’s academic exploration just as much as his pursuit of the fair Julia. Overall, Lubar’s novel is an enjoyable book that most teens will be able to relate to, making it ideal for any library collection.

Reader’s Annotation

Between avoiding bullies, understanding girls, and joining drama, the school paper, and student council, Scott is convinced that high school may very well kill him. But Scott slowly learns that people and activities aren’t always what they seem to be.

About the Author

David Lubar has been many things—a member of a bluegrass band, a student in the Philosophy department at Rutgers, an editor of a computing magazine, and a video game designer. One of his favorite roles, however, is that of an author. Like many authors Lubar initially could not earn a living from his writing (hence all his various roles) but he states, “believe it or not, I’d rather write books than games”. And so, despite contributing to popular games such as Frogger, Carmen Santiago and (my personal favorite) Ultima, Lubar continued to write, hoping he could one day become an author full-time. Fortunately, the more he focused on his writing, the more books he published. His best year came in 1995 when he sold six books. He currently has twenty works of fiction published and continues to write. When he isn’t scribbling away he enjoys playing with his three cats, spending time with his wife and daughter, and playing the guitar.

Lubar, D. (n.d.) Personal information. Retrieved from http://www.davidlubar.com/personal.html

Genre

Epistolary, Humor, Realistic Fiction

Tags

Reading, teenage suicide, poetry, journaling, muscle cars, fishing, babies, bullies

Curriculum Ties

This book would work well in a Homeroom class as an introduction to high school. It would also work well when discussing themes such as teenage suicide, stereotypes, the definition of literature, and how to write creatively.

Booktalk Ideas

--Start the talk with reading one of Scott’s lists like High School Survival Tips (p. 30-31) or List of Dangerous Cafeteria Foods (p. 159).

--Memorize one of Scott’s journal entries and present it as your own. If possible, dress in jeans and a loose T-shirt.

Reading Level/Interest Age

Reading Level: 4^th grade (as assigned by AR BookFinder but I think it’s probably 6^th or 7^th grade as I doubt fourth graders know words such as garrulous and antepenultimate)

Interest Level: 7^th-12^th grade (13-18 yrs.)

AR BookFinder (2010). Sleeping freshmen never lie. Retrieved from http://www.arbookfind.com/bookdetail.aspx?q=100082&l=EN&slid=193108811

Challenge Issues

This book contains little objectionable material but it does have a few swear words. Librarians could defend this book through pointing out all the beneficial messages contained throughout (such as Don’t Commit Suicide, Don’t Steal, Don’t Judge People).

Just for Fun

Here’s a partial listing of the books, plays, and poems mentioned in Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie:

“Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “To Augusta” by Lord Byron, “The Waltz” by Dorothy Parker, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, “On the Naming of Cats” by T.S. Eliot, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Jeremy Thatcher Dragon Hatcher by Bruce Coville, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, A Spell of Chameleon by Piers Anthony, Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, 5,000 Amazing Facts, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, The Field Guide to North American Game Fish, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, Tom Swift by Victor Appleton, Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, Dracula by Bram Stoker, The Man in the Iron Mask by Alexandre Dumas , Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud and Bunnicula by James Howe.

Why Was This Included?

I chose to include this book because it sounded humorous and was part of the 2006 JHunt list (although it was beat out by A Room on Lorelei Street by Mary Pearson for the award) For more information on the JHunt awards please see my post on Revolution. It is my goal to read most of the books that have both won and been shortlisted for the JHunt.