The Schwa Was Here

Shusterman, N. (2006). The schwa was here. New York: Puffin.

Genre and Themes: Young Adult Fiction - friends, boys, family issues, Italian

This book is the first in its series that includes the Anthony Bonano (Antsy for short). Antsy befriends Charlie Schwa (Schwa for short) who is a boy that tends to fly under the radar. They call it the Schwa Effect and they decide to test it by doing dares for money.  All is going well up until they get caught in old man Crawley's apartment. As punishment the man makes them walk his dogs and befriend his blind granddaughter Lexie. Antsy and Schwa become rivals in battle for Lexie's love. Schwa takes it to heart when he reveals he doesn't want to be invisible anymore because he is afraid he will suddenly just disappear just like his mother did. Together they discover the reason to his mother's disappearance and Schwa leaves town to find her. It is a story of happy endings for all the characters involved.

Awards Won by This Title:
2005 - YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
2005 - Notable Children's Book