The Shwa Was Here Essay

Lead-In/Hook: What do you get when you mix a bunch of cute dogs named after sins and virtues, with a grouchy old man, an average kid, and an invisible kid, named after a myst erious and misunderstood, unstressed vowel in the English language?

Author: What you get is a zany, wacky, completely different kind of coming of age realistic fiction story, called The Schwa was Here, by Neal Shusterman. If you like crazy characters, or characters that don’t fit the mold--that are unique and kooky--but still experience the same sort of problems the average kids faces, then you will love this book! Protagonist: Although this book begins with the everyday problems of the protagonist, Ansty Bonano, the book deals with some unlikely situations, as Ansty’s

What’s funny about the conflict in this book is that it seems like Ansty is just dealing with growing up issues, school, and friends. However, as the story evolves, you see the conflict deepen and widen, as he begins to think more deeply about life and who he is, and it becomes more about doing what is right or wrong, and being true to yourself, in spite of your friends (don’t want to give the plot away too much here). What I liked about Antsy is that he seems like a very real character--just a regular guy that every person can relate to. I like that he is loyal to his friends (especially the Schwa), adventurous, a little mischievous, and has a great sense of humor. He is definitely a dynamic character; we see how his actions and thoughts contribute to how he changes his attitude about people and life. Author’s Purpose: I think the author creates some unlikely scenarios for Ansty, to show how he reacts to changing friendships, difficulties with his parents, and growing up. I think the author wants the reader to understand that everyone struggles as they grow up, and that making the right choice is often a lot more difficult because it forces us to examine our conscience, and act the