All Shook Up

Middle schooler Josh has to stay several weeks with his dad in chicago, while his mom takes care of his ill grandmother. He's not too keen on that, since he's lived with his mom since their divorce. But then Josh learns that his dad has quit his job to become an ELVIS IMPERSONATOR! If any of the kids at his new school find out, he'll die of embarrassment. So who keeps leaving him notes on his locker signed "Elvisly Yours"?? Great story, funny characters, and I liked how the author incorporated lyrics from Elvis Presley songs into the chapter breaks.

WHEN 13-YEAR-OLD JOSH finds out he has to stay with his dad in Chicago for a few months, he’s not too thrilled. But when he arrives at the airport, he’s simply devastated. His father—who used to be a scatterbrained, but pretty normal, shoe salesman—has become a sideburn-wearing, hip-twisting, utterly embarrassing Elvis impersonator.

Despite the really cheesy premise (a teenage boy who is completely embarrassed by his dad's new attempt at a business as an Elvis impersonator), I found this book enjoyable even if predictable. It was light, had a good sense of humor, and quirky characters.

A breezy little YA novel about Josh, an average 13 year old boy who goes to live with his Dad for a few months, only to discover that Dad has recently embarked on a new career as a professional Elvis impersonator. Josh's mortification at the prospect of Dad performing at an upcoming school dance is a pretty straightforward case study in the psychological phenomenon of the "imaginary audience," and his attempts to negotiate the cliques of junior high should resonate with anyone who's survived it. It's from the fizzier end of the YA spectrum (no brooding Holdens or pining Margarets here) and has all the makings of a TeenNick or Disney Channel movie/series.
- Dr. K, 5/2/08

Another great book from young adult author Pearsall. For this one, she goes contemporary telling the story of Josh who is horrified to find out his father has become an Elvis Presley impersonator. There are a lot of great themes in this one including the pressures of being a child of divorced parents and the importance of accepting others (and yourself) for exactly who they are. I recommend this both for young adults and those of us who remain "young at heart".

Hiding your face. Embarrassed by who your family is. This is how Josh feels all the time in the realistic fiction book, All Shook Up by Shelley Pearsell. Josh's parents are divorced and when he goes to see his dad he is very shocked at what finds. The store where his dad used to work closed and now his dad is making a living as an Elvis impersonator. Josh doesn't like the idea of his dad's new job and undergoes drastic measures to prove it.

I think that this book was really surprising. Everything that Josh did to stop his dad from being Elvis made me go,"he did what!?!?!" I would recommend this book for anybody who likes funny and weird books. This book would probably be for kids grads 6-9. It is an interesting book that I would show more definatly read again. show less

I found out about this book through our son, Matthew. This book is proposed for the Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Award for 2011. Matthew's school gave a presentation to fourth graders highlighting some of the proposed titles of the Caudill Award for this year. ALL SHOOK UP is one of the books that interested him.

Josh Greenwood is a 13 year old boy who lives in Boston with his mom. When Josh's mom's mother falls and injures herself badly he learns that he must visit his dad for an extended time. His grandma lives in Florida and his mom is going to have to visit there to assist her with her recuperation. Josh's dad lives in Chicago which means that Josh will have to sign up to attend school there, away from all of his friends.

Upon show more arriving in Chicago it isn't long before Josh finds out that the shoe store his dad worked for has gone out of business and his dad is now making money doing gigs...singing as Elvis. Now, while this might sound pretty cool to some adults, Josh is extremely embarrassed at even the thought of it.

While living in Chicago Josh meets his dad's new girlfriend Viv, and her daughter, Ivory, as well as an elderly neighbor who is making his dad's Elvis-scarves for his stage shows.

The story is told through the eyes of a 13 year old. It's not deep, but it does remind one of how simple the viewpoint of a young teen can be. That said, there is a bit of character growth by the end of the book. I actually thought the book might be a bit more exciting than it was. The story does see Josh make a pretty bad decision that affected his dad worse than his dad's actions were affecting him. There is some resolution to that situation though and it certainly provides a point for discussion with younger readers. One interesting point occurs when Halloween sneaks up on them and they are not prepared; this finds Josh scrambling for a costume and he spends a bit of time wearing some of his dad's Elvis clothing. After doing so he finds that he actually had a bit of fun with it and begins to see things from his dad's side a bit more.

My son doesn't know that I have read the book. I bought the ebook for my NOOK. I also bought a hardcover version for him for Christmas. I think he will really enjoy the book and he'll be surprised to hear that Mom has already read it. If he saves enough to buy a NOOK (he received a gift card for B&N for is birthday) he will be pleased to find that he can read the ebook too!

I am rating this book a 3.5 on a 5.0 scale. show less