Dork in Disguise

Gorman, Carol

3.76

294 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 006024867X ISBN 13: 9780060248673

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1999

Last year, Jerry Flack was a dork. So this year, at a new school in a new town, he's decided to start a new life altogether--as a Cool Kid.He's been preparing all summer: studying teen magazines, acquiring hair gel, and distressing his jeans. Things get off to a good start, and before you know it, Jerry's in, Rollerblading with the pros. But soon, Jerry finds himself tangled up in a complicated web of lies; and what's more, he's battling a terrible urge to put his glasses back on, join the science team, build a hovercraft, and, worst of all, date Brenda, a 100% geek. Does he really want to be a dork in disguise forever?

Carol Gorman perfectly captures the horror and hilarity of the middle-school social scene in this fast-paced and funny take on what it really means to be yourself.

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About the Author:

Carol Gorman is the author of many books for young readers, including The Miraculous Makeover of Lizard Flanagan, an ABA Pick of the Lists, and Lizard Flanagan, Supermodel??. She lives in Iowa with her husband, who is also a full-time writer.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 3-6-Jerry Flack is really smart-smart enough to have been labeled dork, geek, and nerd throughout his school career. When his family moves to a new town, he sees the possibilities for a major lifestyle change. Hiding his glasses in his backpack and his academic abilities behind ripped jeans and a cool-guy strut (which he perfects in the mirror at home), Jerry manages to insinuate himself into the coolest group in the sixth grade. He is puzzled and disappointed when life isn't as exciting as he expected, and he is unsure how to respond when he's invited to join the science team, based on his outstanding record from his previous school. Jerry loves science (he is even building a working hovercraft at home), but competing on the team is definitely uncool. On the other hand, the science-team kids are more interesting to be around. It's a tough choice, but in the end Jerry decides that being himself is a lot more fun than being cool. Dork in Disguise is similar in setting, mood, and message to Gorman's The Miraculous Makeover of Lizard Flanagan (HarperCollins, 1994), about a sixth-grade girl trying to reconcile her identity as a jock with the social expectations that come along with entering middle school. As with that title, many readers will enjoy and identify with this humorous story.
Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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