By: Neal Shusterman Publisher: Puffin Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Puffin Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 228 Publication Date: March 02, 2006 Reading Level: Young Adult
Book Description: They say his clothes blend into the background, no matter where he stands. They say a lot of things about the Schwa, but one thing’s for sure: no one ever noticed him. Except me. My name is Antsy Bonano—and I was the one who realized the Schwa was "functionally invisible" and used him to make some big bucks. But I was also the one who caused him more grief than a friend should. So if you all just shut up and listen, I’ll tell you everything there is to know about the Schwa, from how he got his name, to what really happened with his mom. I’ll spill everything. Unless, of course, "the Schwa Effect" wipes him out of my brain before I’m done . . . .
Funny and creative! Anthony takes you on a wild brooklynese ride.
As you enter the book, you are quickly introduced to Anthony, a 14-year-old boy. Antsy (what everyone calls him) is smart and witty, and two very different worlds collide when he meets Calvin Schwa. The Schwa has an awful problem, he's "invisible-ish" (no one ever notices him, and his boots are always the color of the ground, while his eyes are the color of the sky) and the two boys take advantage of Calvin's problem by trying to make money out of it. When they take a dare to go in to old man Crawley's house unseen, it turns out that Crawley is immune to the "Schwa effect," and for breaking into his home, he forces them to do community service for him (walking his 14 afghan hounds). After several weeks, Antsy and Calvin begin to gain Crawley's trust, and with the help of Lexie, Crawley's blind granddaughter, they teach Crawley to love and smile again, search for the Schwa's missing mother who dissapeared in the supermarket, try to make the Schwa be noticed, and Antsy manages to stop his Italian parents from fighting. This is a very creative story, a diamond in the rough, compared to so many other books similar. I must have laughed so many times while reading this well-paced book.
Who is Invisible? There are so many times when one feels invisible. The characters in this story struggle with their own personal experiences of not feeling noticed or appreciated by those around them. The journey that the main character, Antsy, takes and that of his new aquaintance,Calvin Schwaa, actual rival each other although they are completely different on the outside. This book is full of wit and humor with good definition of the main characters. Even though we can anticipate what to expect next from Antsy, Lexie, Calvin and Crawley, we are still surprised and challenged as they grow to find out more about themselves. I highly recommend this book.
Eccentri City Meets New York City A family named "Schwa" because an ancestor died on Ellis Island in the middle of reporting his name ("Schwartz")? A kid who nobody notices, even when he's there, so he decides to make money on it by going places he shouldn't? A curmudgeonly recluse who owns 14 dogs named after the 7 virtues and the 7 vices? And all in Brooklyn?
Neal Shusterman's THE SCHWA WAS HERE is that rare bird that elicited a few "laugh out louds" as I read it. Quirky, smartly-written, and original, this book puts its arm around you from the get-go and makes friends instantly. There's the protagonist, Anthony Bonano, an endearing sort who becomes "the Schwa's" manager (Calvin Schwa is the kid who is probably right behind you as you read this monitor, but you just haven't noticed yet). There's Mr. Crawley, the shut-in millionaire who first hires Antsy and the Schwa to walk his dogs, and then to date his grand daughter.
Speaking of, there's Crawley's grand daughter, Lexie -- blind and as spirited as the ghost of Hamlet's father. When both Anthony and the Schwa fall for her after she "sees" their faces with her hands (you can imagine the appeal to an adolescent boy -- having his face "felt," I mean), all kinds of dynamics are set off. Shusterman's characters bleed red (or shall we say, for the purposes of a book, "read"), and you get that warm, old-timey feel like you're reading an Italian "Leave It to Beaver" or something.
If you are a fan of the humor genre -- peppered with Brooklyn sarcasm -- and of books rich in characterization and wit, the Schwa shouldn't be here, he should be in your hands. Recommendation: buy.
I loved it, and I think you will too This book has three qualities I love in a novel: first, it made me laugh out loud, second, the narrator was someone I'd want to be friends with, and third, I couldn't put it down. But let me tell you about the story.
Anthony (aka Antsy) Bonano is a Brooklyn teenager who sometimes feels invisible in his own family, but he quickly learns he has nothing on "The Schwa" when it comes to invisibility. Antsy's classmate, Calvin--The Schwa--can stand right beside someone and they never notice him. He can walk right into the teacher's lounge and hang out without anyone batting an eyelash. Even his own dad is never certain where he is. Antsy decides that the Schwa is functionally invisible.
Antsy's business sense and the Schwa's easy going nature lead them to form a partnership--The Schwa performs tasks and takes dares for cash, and Antsy is his manager. Then a dare involving a crusty old man gives the story an interesting twist.
Does the Schwa really mind his invisibilty? What happens when he and Antsy develop an interest in the same girl? What is the Schwa's grand plan to become noticed by everyone? And what did happen the day the Schwa's mom disappeared in the grocery store? You will just have to read the book to find out!
A Strange Winner
Can you imagine being invisible to the world in a way that no one-not even your parents-acknowledge your existance? This is a realistic fiction about a boy who, with his friends tries to deal with "The Schwa Effect". And, in his small town gets himself into a little trouble, only to meet the boy who will help him find out about the strange dissappearance of his mother.
Knowing nothing about the book, I was a little skeptical of whether I would like it or not. It ended up to have a great storyline, one that I would definitely reccommend to all ages. Its a little bit of mystery, during the time "The Schwa" is trying to find his missing mother, and then they are using "The Schwa's" power to go unnoticed for things at school, like sneaking homework in late; little things like that. The beginning was a little bit slow, but towards the middle when the book starting picking up, I didn't want to put it down. It ends up having many things at once going on, and I was surprised by the whole idea of the book, considering the information I already had on it was VERY little. I strongly think that alot of different age groups would really enjoy reading this book, it could be perceived differently by different people. If perceived one way, it could be complicated with alot going on, if perceived from another way, it could be simple and light. No matter what point of view you are looking in, from an adult to a child, this book is very clear and a good read. I really liked this book, and I think that people should try it even though at first glance it looks way simple.
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