Memoirs of a Sidekick — David Skuy

"Why can't Bendale change?" seventh-grader Boris Snodbuckle asks his best friend and loyal sidekick, Adrian. "We have one more year here. I don't wanna waste it --- life's too short. We have to do something." Leave it to Boris to figure out a way to make life better for the kids at Bendale Public School. He's going to run for president of the student council. As president, he'll be able to fix everything! There's only one problem. His opponent is the most popular boy in school. And hardly anyone really knows Boris. Can he find a way to use his talent for launching wild schemes to garner the votes he needs? Or will it just end up, as usual, getting him suspended from school? As Adrian, the book's narrator, says, "Don't give up, believe in yourself, be brave and sometimes --- sometimes --- good things happen."

Readers will be rooting for the irrepressible Boris Snodbuckle to win it all in this middle-grade novel by bestselling, award-winning author David Skuy. Offbeat, funny and clever, Boris is ever optimistic that things will work out, and takes his many failures in stride. This heartwarming story has wide appeal for its engrossing and drama-filled plot as well as for the many relatable themes, from bullying, to social groups and popularity, to friendship. Maybe most important of all is the way Boris, clearly a social underdog, becomes the school's unlikely hero simply by being himself. This book also provides terrific lessons on citizenship and leadership.