Hidden Talents

I first found David Lubar when I picked up Flip on a whim. I only wish I had heard of him before.

Hidden Talents is wonderful. It manages to be life-affirming without taking life (which seems to be the theme in the "award-winning" books for young adults). I found that when I finished this book I felt changed for having read it. Perhaps only slightly, but changed I was.

This change I feel happens with every single Lubar book I've read. I honestly wish that classrooms were filled with books like this instead of the depressing titles that seem to be considered "high literature."

You know, children can learn to respect and value life without reading about it being taken. Children can learn to see the wonder of things without reading about show more someone who has had everything taken away from them. Children can realize that different does not mean bad without showing the person who is different suffering. David Lubar manages all of these things spectacularly and without undue drama. show less

I'd have advised Lubar to make a few different choices... but he's the successful writer, so it's a good thing he didn't. Iow, the following opinions are my own persnicketiness, not an objective reaction to the book's appeal to the target audience.

For example, I wonder if kids 'get' the message that they might have strengths, too, that they can use to cope with school and not get into so much trouble, even if those strengths aren's paranormal powers. I also have trouble understanding Martin's family - if his mom is such a doormat to such a bully, how is the family not despairingly dysfunctional? I would also have liked to see the humanity of the teachers more - they were almost cardboard bad guys.

Otoh, I did really enjoy the structure show more of the book, the dialogue, the characters, the humor, the suspense... just about everything, really. And I can definitely see why kids (age 9 up) and teachers like this. For example, even the best schools have bullies. And Martin is a good role model. I have read others by the author and will continue to do so. show less

Nice writing. I kept looking for hints as to what the talents were - semi-spoiled - but it's interesting in itself too. The payoff is great - I knew what Martin's power was a long time before they said it, and the reversal was obvious, but the way he actually handled it surprised and impressed me. The graphics in the book actually contributed - usually they're either unimportant or actively annoying, but here they were interesting and mildly useful to the story.

Booktalk: Martin has been kicked out of every school he's been in. He has a real talent for mouthing off and ticking people off, especially teachers. Now he's been shipped to Edgeview Alternative, the depressing last stop for kids who can't get along anyplace els. He meets up with other misfits who are there for one reason or another: Torchie sets fires, Lucky steals, Cheater cheats, Flinch can't ever sit still, and Trash is always knocking stuff over. It's enough that the teachers hassle them about their problem behavior but the guys also have to deal with Lester Bloodbath, the school thug and the kind of person who would just as soon kill you as look at you. But then Martin makes an unusual discovery about his friends. Maybe cheating, show more stealing, setting fires, mouthing off and clumsiness AREN'T behavior problems at al. Instead maybe they are special talents. And if they are talents, what can the guys DO with them? Will their special skills bust them out of Edgeview? Can they take care of Lester Bloodbath once and for all? Will they be able to change the way people think about them? Alone, the guys have just been problem kids no one wanted anything to do with. But together, they are about to discover the collective power of their HIDDEN TALENTS. show less

As one might suspect from the title, this book is about a group of misfit kids who have been kicked over to an "alternative school" for what appear to be various disciplinary problems, but who discover that what they actually have are out-of-control psi talents. Bog-standard plot with bullies, indifferent/hostile teachers, and eventual victory over both their talents and the Evil Mayor who wants to get this miniature prison Out Of His Neighborhood, but it's well-written (kept me turning pages and had several unexpected twists) and involves good use of deductive reasoning and statistical methods by one of the kids to demonstrate the reality of the psi powers. The ending seemed just a bit rushed to me, but I doubt readers in the target show more age range would notice that. I'd recommend this for anyone from about age 9 up. show less

This is a Young Adult (YA) novel I'd give to any kid or any adult who was a kid like I was - loner, lonely, outcast, etc. If you weren't popular or one of the bullies, you'll probably enjoy how these kids figure things out and manage to carve out improvements despite the many obstacles facing them.

I just learned there's a sequel that takes place a year later; I added it to my to-read list. :)

In all the years I've been reading YA fiction, and in spite of all the wonderful things I've heard about David Lubar's first novel, Hidden Talents, I had never gotten around to reading it. As soon as I was free of committee responsibilities, it was the first thing I checked out of my library.

This is a very serious story, told in a wonderfully humorous way. Poor Martin doesn't really know why he was sent to Edgeview Alternative School--unless it's his terrible habit of talking back to everyone he meets. Here he connects with other "losers" and through his careful observation figures out the secrets his friends don't even know they are keeping. There are many wise messages here, shared in a most palatable manner. The ending caught me off show more guard with it's serious take on why students--and teachers--end up at last chance schools like Edgeview. show less