Pottymouth and Stoopid / James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein ; illustrated by Stephen Gilpin.

In this "superwonderrific" (Jerry Spinelli) New York Times bestselling story, two best friends use laughter to turn the tables on their bullies.

David and his best friend Michael were tagged with awful nicknames way back in preschool when everyone did silly things. Fast-forward to seventh grade: "Pottymouth" and "Stoopid" are still stuck with the names--and everyone in school, including the teachers and their principal, believe the unfair labels are true. So how do they go about changing everyone's minds? By turning their misery into megastardom on TV, of course!

This important story delivers more than just laughs--it shows that the worst bullying isn't always physical . . . and that things will get better. Full of hilarious and engaging illustrations, this critically acclaimed, bestselling novel will have kids laughing out loud, and is also a great conversation starter for parents to read alongside their kids!

Official Notice to Parents:

There is no actual pottymouthing or stupidity in this entire book!

(Psst, kids: that second part might not be entirely true.)

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 3-5-David and Michael are two typical students who have been tagged with terrible nicknames, which have moved with them from grade to grade. Their experiences with bullying are shared through David's first-person account, which is filled with cartoon-style illustrations throughout. David and Michael are understood only by David's grandfather. The boys' bond with Grandpa Johnny is heartwarming. Problems with divorced parents and foster parents are addressed but only in passing. Many of the boys' attempts to impress classmates are chuckle-worthy, and readers will laugh at their made-up words and cheer on these two likable boys and their friend Anna Brittannica. Unlike other books about bullying, this one offers alternative solutions to handling everyday situations-for instance, the boys often calmly respond, "Uh huh, right back atcha!" The simple lessons will speak to bullies and bullied alike. The title may deter some adults, but kids will embrace the silliness and enjoy this relatable tale. VERDICT A solid addition to collections serving upper middle grade and middle school readers. Hand to fans of goofy, realistic school stories.-Elizabeth Swartz, Warrior Run School District, PA © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Patterson and Grabenstein, the team behind the I Funny series, introduce two beleaguered but resilient seventh graders. Despite their stratospheric IQs, best friends David, who is white, and Michael, who is black, have been saddled with the nicknames Stoopid and Pottymouth following incidents involving a botched math problem and an invented vocabulary, respectively. As the boys struggle with their unfair reputations, the authors tackle bullies, unexpected friendships, and family troubles with comedy and poignancy. Michael's foster parents are slackers with actual potty mouths, David's grandfather dies unexpectedly, and David's mother works three jobs to make ends meet while his deadbeat "Ex-Dad" parlays the boys' school travails into a hit TV series. Both clever and sweet, the revenge the friends exact bonds them to other outsiders at their school and to the TV show's writers. Gilpin's cartoons build on the story's many jokes, interludes from classmates and family members flesh out the boys' world, and the friends' hard-fought victory feels very well earned. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: (for Patterson) Robert Barnett, Williams & Connolly; (for Grabenstein) Eric Myers, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. Illustrator's agency: Shannon Associates. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

Michael and David first bonded in preschool. The nicknames Pottymouth and Stoopid, respectively, follow the boys to middle school. After years of taunting from mean kids and clueless adults, vindication finally comes--but not before a TV show based on them makes things worse. With lots to say about bullying, this comedy, illustrated with Gilpin's caricatures, is more serious than it first appears. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

Sludgepuggle! Pottymouth and Stoopid take on relentless bullies, terrible teachers, and a dastardly Ex-Dad.Twelve-year-olds Michael and David have been best friendsand the objects of widespread ridiculesince preschool. Now they're in seventh grade, and things are still pretty much the same. Everyone still calls David "Stoopid," because he once accidentally spilled some paint, and Michael "Pottymouth," because he responds with creative expletives when provoked ("Rrrrrggghhh, hicklesnicklepox! David isn't stupid, you flufferknuckles!"). David's divorced parents and Michael's churlish foster parents are no help, and when a new TV show appears on the Cartoon Factory network, things take a turnfor the worse. As with Patterson and Grabenstein's previous collaborations, the combination of short chapters and comical illustrations (here courtesy of Gilpin) targets fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This iteration aims, not quite successfully in its broad strokes, to reflect a slightly more diverse crowdthe vast majority of primary characters are white, but Michael is black, and the story also touches on children's experiences with divorced parents, (bad) foster parents, and families with lower incomes. Readers will be amused by Pottymouth and Stoopid's shenanigans, bolstered occasionally by the brainy Anna Britannica (chubby and white and another victim of the school's charismatic bully), but the generally formulaic tale delivers few truly funny or memorable moments. An entertainingbut not particularly originaladdition to the perennially relevant genre. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

The latest Middle School tale from these hyperprolific coauthors features a decidedly unlikely but deeply satisfying twist that turns two seventh-graders haunted by nicknames bestowed in preschool into culture heroes. So thoroughly defined as losers that not even their teachers or principal know their real names, David Scungili (Stoopid) and Michael Littlefield (Pottymouth) one white, the other African American, as depicted in Gilpin's frequent comical drawings suddenly find themselves caricatures in a megahit Cartoon Factory show. As it turns out, the titular monikers are as inaccurate as they are unkind: David has a sometimes embarrassing impulsive streak, but both lads earn genius-level scores on IQ tests, and Michael's nickname comes not from cursing but from his penchant for silly made-up words. Readers will applaud as the two best buds not only see both the requisite bully (here, a girl) and a cast of clueless grown-ups receive proper comeuppance, but also find themselves at the head of a veritable army of geeks and brains with similarly disparaging nicknames. Awesometastic! HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Patterson and Grabenstein are both thoroughly familiar with best-seller lists together, they'll be unstoppable. Need we say more?--Peters, John Copyright 2017 Booklist

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