The Next Great Paulie Fink

Written by Ali Benjamin

Narrated by Cassandra Morris, Zach Villa, Cameron Bowen and Adam McArthur

In this acclaimed novel by the author of the award-winning, bestselling The Thing About Jellyfish, being the new kid at school isn't easy, especially when you have to follow in the footsteps of a legendary classroom prankster.

When Caitlyn Breen begins her disorienting new life at Mitchell School--where the students take care of real live goats and study long-dead philosophers, and where there are only ten other students in the entire seventh grade--it seems like nobody can stop talking about some kid named Paulie Fink.

Depending on whom you ask, Paulie was either a hilarious class clown, a relentless troublemaker, a hapless klutz, or an evil genius. One thing's for sure, though: The kid was totally legendary. Now he's disappeared, and Caitlyn finds herself leading a reality-show-style competition to find the school's next great Paulie Fink. With each challenge, Caitlyn struggles to understand a person she never met...but it's what she discovers about herself that most surprises her.

Told in multiple voices, interviews, and documents,this funny, thought-provoking novel from the bestselling author of The Thing About Jellyfish is a memorable exploration of what makes a hero--and if anyone, or anything, is truly what it seems.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hachette Audio
• Release date: Apr 16, 2019
• ISBN: 9781549175565

Ali Benjamin

Ali Benjamin has written for the Boston Globe Magazine, Martha Stewart's Whole Living and Sesame Street. Ali is a member of the New England Science Writers. When not working, Ali wrangles children, drinks too much coffee, sometimes runs, hangs out with friendly dogs, gazes at electron microscopy images of bugs, and teaches kids about storytelling and writing. She serves scrambled eggs for dinner far too often. She is the author of The Thing About Jellyfish.

Reviews for The Next Great Paulie Fink

[lou_intheberkshires · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Solid middle-grade read. Good for students starting in a new school.

[jfranklin592262 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this one! An original and unique story, that turned out to be so much more than the quirky youth humor read I expected. I will definitely pursue more books by Ali Benjamin.....for my kiddos, and myself.

[jennybeast · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed this a lot, but I went to a weird little school like Mitchell, so I identify strongly with the Originals and their shenanigans. I thought the mixture of formats was very effective, and I think the new girl point of view was an excellent choice. An unusual story, hard to put down. Also, goats! And lots of legendary school hijinks. Goofy and fun.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Caitlyn moves to Vermont and is shocked to find her school is in an old, crumbling mansion. She's in a class with the "originals" the nine students in seventh grade were in the first class in this school. They miss this kind named Paulie Fink, so Caitlyn begins to fit in by hosting this competition to name his successor. All the while, the students learn Greek mythology, build community, and Caitlyn learns some tough life lessons in this sweet story of finding your place and not being afraid to stand out.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing book about philosophy and fitting in that all middle graders should read.

[salsabrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lively, informal voice about emotional issues that many kids relate to: being new, looking for acceptance, feeling insecure, being bullied. In an accessible way, this book shows readers that what they see is not always what it seems and to take into consideration that there may be more than one side to someone's story. Coming in with new girl Caitlyn to hear about the great Paulie Fink sets up questions in the readers’ minds as to who this guy is, why does everyone think he is so great, what happened to him? The tight-knit camaraderie of the Originals will appeal to kids, as will the inclusion of reality TV structure into the plot. The author note describes how the book explores different storytelling forms.