Happyface

Discussion page for //Happyface// by Stephen Edmond

This is another great book -- it's something like f a Wimpy Kid book for much much older teens. It's an illustrated diary of a sophomore boy with a tragic past and family life moves to a new school he decides "to put on a happy face." It works for a while but eventually everything erupts. Edmond does a superb job of portraying the teenage years from a boy's point of view.

Gail Zachariah Keene Public Library

I think that this would be a wonderful addition to the NH Teen Reader list. Here is Happyface's journal - the one his father gave him. I think that this would be a good addition on a number of levels. The theme of the reinvention of self is one that runs through many teens minds at least on some level. The backstory plays itself out gradually which can be a little confusing, but Happyface had to come to terms with some things before he could reckon with them - once again, this works on a coming of age level. The journal-type entries make it different from anything else on the list which might make it appeal to a different set of teens. Sharon Flesher-Duffy, Nashua High South