Anyway: A Story about Me with 138 Footnotes, 27 Exaggerations, and 1 Plate of Spaghetti by Arthur Salm

Most of my memories of junior high are pleasant, but not all, and I am very happy that I do not have to live through the age again. Usually good kid Max, who is between seventh and eighth grade, often hears that his mishaps will be funny someday, but he is ready to get past the tween stage and never return. He tell all about his rocky summer in Anyway: A Story about Me with 138 Footnotes, 27 Exaggerations, and 1 Plate of Spaghetti by Arthur Salm.

Max is not a storyteller who can stay on subject, which is why he includes 138 footnotes. Don't skip them for they reveal much about Max's character and that of his alter ego Mad Max. They also alert you to the 27 exaggerations.

Max would not want me to reveal too much about his story, but let me just say that he has one set of friends (and an enemy) from his school and makes another set when he goes to summer camp with his family. Action takes place at a shopping mall, in Max's backyard, at camp, and at a big birthday party where girls and boys play musical chairs. Can you guess where the spaghetti comes into the story? See if you are right by reading Anyway.

Salm, Arthur. Anyway: A Story about Me with 138 Footnotes, 27 Exaggerations, and 1 Plate of Spaghetti. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012. 138p. ISBN 9781442429307.