The Stereotypical Freaks

By Howard Shapiro

Four disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school’s battle of the bands. Sharing a love for playing rock and roll, the members name the band “The Stereotypical Freaks” because they feel stereotyped by their classmates – smart kid, geek, star athlete and quiet weirdo… when in fact they know they are much more than those labels that have been placed on them. When one member reveals life altering news, winning the competition takes on more of a meaning to each member. Scared and angry, upset and yet still with a lot of resolve they set out to win one for the good guys… will they? Howard Shapiro has written four children’s books including the critically acclaimed Hockey Days and its sequel Hockey Player of Life. He lives in Pittsburg.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Animal Media Group, LLC
• Release date: Mar 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9780578112183

Book preview

The Stereotypical Freaks

Howard Shapiro

Animal Media Group, LLC

Pittsburgh

The Stereotypical Freaks

Copyright 2012 by Howard Shapiro

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical , including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system with out the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Animal Media Group books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

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Pittsburgh, PA 15222

www.animalmediagroup.com

412-566-5656

The views express

Reviews for The Stereotypical Freaks

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have not read a lot of graphic novels but this one was very good. I really think reluctant readers, especially those interested in reading would enjoy this book as well as just about anyone else. The story is about 4 highschool boys who are trying to fit in. One is the jock (Mark/Marko/Marcel), one is the "exchange" student from Nunavut Iqaluit (Jacoby), one new to the school from Oshawa (Dan) and the last the smart kid (Tom). The school they attend is having a Battle of the Bands. Circumstances end up putting these four boys together and they begin to practice. They enter the contest and name themselves "The Stereoptypical Freaks". As the contest nears, Jacoby finally tells the boys he has terminal cancer, but he will be around to play. He manages a couple of situations to help the boys become the best they can be. It is a real tear jerker at the end, but a great story. The illustrations are Pen and Ink Drawings that some kids might have preferred a little colour but it works.

Thank you Netgalley and Animal Media Group for the opportunity to read and reveiw this book.

[lilyroseshadowlyn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. The suggested soundtrack really enhanced the story. Watching these four transcend their stereotypes doing something they love is an inspiration for misfits everywhere.

[leafinglight · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Grade 6-10. Brainy Sam and his outcast friend, Dan, are two pretty typical high school seniors who spend their days navigating the high school pecking order and their evenings playing rock-n-roll in Sam's basement. Dan wants to compete in the school's Battle of the Bands, and in an attempt to impress his long-time crush, Sam agrees. But the duo need a drummer and a lead guitarist to round out their band. The two convince Mark, Sam's old friend and the star football player, and Jacoby, a quiet foreign exchange student from Canada with mad drum skills, to join their midst and the band is complete. The small group of “stereotypical freaks” grow in friendship, and when Jacoby reveals that he is dying of cancer, the Battle of the Bands competition takes on new significance. Pekar's expressive graphic panels and strong lines help the boys' friendship and adventures come to life while the “recommended listening” at the start of each chapter deepen the book's musical connections. At its core, this story is about navigating high school, overcoming stereotypes, and being a true friend. The only lacking element is a well-developed female character—the one girl mentioned by name is the knock-out, Jaelithe. Despite its occasional didacticism and cliché, Shapiro's latest book is a heartwarming and very approachable graphic novel for middle school, hi-lo, or high school readers. Recommended.

[skstiles612 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Howard Shapiro has made me a lover of graphic novels. At least I can say I love his graphic novels. I don't read a lot of graphic novels. I would read his non-stop. My students keep them circulating. In The Stereotypical Freaks we meet four teens who seem to be so different, but are really more alike than they know. Music is what brings them all together and shows them how similar they are. Tom is the nerdy one. He tutors his former best friend Mark. Dan is his newest best friend. Dan has issues with his dad. Dan and Tom have a band. Dan wants them to enter the Battle of the Bands. the problem is that they need a drummer and a guitar player. This is where Mark and Jacoby enter. Jacoby is fairly new at the school. They end up forming the band The Stereotypical Freaks. Jacoby is the motivator in this group. When you read the story you learn that he is the person who you would expect to have legitimate reasons for being depressed. The story is about true friendship and healing relationships. The lessons are those that teens need to hear. It is not preachy at all. I would say it is very real. That is why my students like his books. They can relate to them. One thing I found extremely cool was at the introduction of each chapter there was a list of songs to listen to while reading that particular chapter. My students were shocked that I knew some of them. Definitely one of my favorite books of the year. I had just finished it in the class when a student said, "Can I check it out now?" There are now three others in line for it. They know a good book when they see it.I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[catya77 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

his is one of my more difficult reviews to write as I don't wish to give any spoilers.To put it simply, the graphics and story are well done. Yet that is too simplistic.Some have said this is not the typical graphic novel, yet it is thematically. We all have to find our place in this world. However, this story takes an experience most of us have gone through to make it more easily relatable.Overall an enjoyable read with good graphics.

[dixielandcountry.com · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Four disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school’s battle of the bands. Sharing a love for playing rock and roll, the members name the band “The Stereotypical Freaks” because they feel stereotyped by their classmates – smart kid, geek, star athlete and quiet weirdo… when in fact they know they are much more than those labels that have been placed on them. When one member reveals life altering news, winning the competition takes on more of a meaning to each member. Scared and angry, upset and yet still with a lot of resolve they set out to win one for the good guys… will they?The Stereotypical Freaks is a great new graphic novel by Howard Shapiro. It is a perfect read for a typical middle to high school age kid. I think they would find the characters as well as the story to be really relatable. I must say that this is my very first graphic novel and I really did enjoy it. The art was really well done and the story was really easy to follow.