Stacey Matson

A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius is possibly one of Scholastic Canada's best in recent years. Written for readers ages 10-14, this wonderful novel is told from the point-of-view of a young boy who struggles with a wide range of typical middle school problems, including girls, grades, and bullies. The entire story is told through Arthur's emails, letters, journal entries, assignments, and drawings. This is an easy, enjoyable, and fast-paced read with a charming main character show more and an endearing story.

Arthur is witty, honest, and sometimes a little too bold. He makes plenty of mistakes, including taking claim of another boy's story for the writing competition. The reason for such an error?: pride, procrastination, and Arthur's having yet to come to terms with recent loss of his mother. Despite his faults, the reader will root for Arthur, but also reflect on his choices, behaviour, and his struggles at school. A big plus for teachers: Arthur's actions make for great classroom discussion on plagiarism, bullying, and more!

There is very little content to concern parents and educators. Arthur is bullied by a classmate, but it's made obvious that Arthur is also not an innocent party. Getting along is a two-person job! One great life lesson to take away is that you don't know what other people are going through. Arthur learns that his bully is mean partly because of what's going on in his life. When the boys admit to their own personal problems, they realize they have quite a lot in common after all.

Overall, this book is well-worth the read and is a great addition to classroom and personal libraries. Arthur's middle school woes are felt by every child at one point or another, and although his faults get him into some trouble, his intentions, heart, and spirit make him an admirable and memorable character for young readers. Funny and witty, Stacey Matson's novel is a great choice for readers who enjoy books such as Jeffrey Brown's Jedi Academy, Lincoln Peirce's Big Nate books, or L. Pichon's Tom Gates series.

4 Stars show less

This is a year in the life of grade 7 student Arthur Bean, an aspiring writer in his first year of middle school. They story is told through a series of English assignments, school newspaper articles, and Arthur's personal Reading Journal (RJ). Which becomes more of a diary of Arthur's life experiences and thoughts. I found the book to be heartfelt and most of the entries highlighted Arthur's wit and humour. A bit repetitive in the emphasis on Arthur expressing that he is the best in show more everything, but nonetheless a recommended read for middle school students and those adults that may want a glimpse into the preteen psyche. show less

Arthur is starting 7th grade and is having a hard time. His mom died at the end of the last school year and there are a lot of things he's still figuring out. Also, he's madly in love with the most beautiful girl in school and his English teacher has asked him to keep a reading journal and tutor his nemesis. There's a strong voice for each of the characters so this would be a great mentor text for author's voice.

This book is told via communications between Author Bean, the main character, and his friends and teachers. It is a different format than most kids are used to reading, but it is engaging and humorously written. I think this book would be a good way to engage hesitant readers in a longer, "bigger" book then they may normally read.