ONE KID'S TRASH

Hugo is an only child who has been bullied his whole life because he is small; will his passion for Garbology protect him at his new school?

Eleven-year-old Hugo O’Connell has just moved to the mountains, closer to the Colorado ski resorts where his dad works long hours. Luckily, his cousin Vijay O’Connell will show him around. (The O’Connells are Irish Catholic; Vij’s mom, Hugo’s Aunt Soniah, is cued as Indian.) Hugo has been called every diminutive name in the book. Observant and smart, his watchful eye keeps him away from most trouble, except when class bully Chance Sullivan is involved. But Hugo’s powers of perception have gained him notoriety for studying the contents of garbage cans, a fascinating subject called Garbology. The story’s rich settings are vividly described: the sweaty smell of locker rooms, sparkling ski slopes, and chaotic cafeterias. Sumner perfectly captures the fickle nature of middle school social status and the gnawing pain of betrayal. With the self-deprecation of a tormented tween, Hugo expresses what he learns about friendship, honesty, and the bitter pill of revenge, for which Hugo and his friends who work on the school newsletter must pay serious consequences. This is a strong work about finding your people, learning to apologize, and the rewards of self-respect.

The pitch-perfect voice and everyday bravery of this middle school survivor are not to be missed.