Editorial Content for This Is Not the Abby Show

As my enthusiasm for THIS IS NOT THE ABBY SHOW will undoubtedly leak through in my review I should tell you now that I enjoyed this book immensely. As I sit here and reflect on the book and why I liked it so much, there isn’t one reason that I liked it, but rather the reason it was so good is because it is the complete package --- dynamic and relatable characters, a believable and interesting plot and important themes and issues.

“[Full of] dynamic and relatable characters, a believable and interesting plot and important themes and issues.”

Although the title of the book is THIS IS NOT THE ABBY SHOW, Abby Green, the main character, is truly the star of this book. Abby is a seventh grader living in Poco Bay, Florida. There are lots of interesting things about Abby, but the one that the people in her life notice the most is her Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). But Abby is twice exceptional, meaning that although she has been diagnosed with ADHD, which is often seen as a deficit, she is also extremely gifted in math and science. As Abby describes herself, “I’m a one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others type, the type that’s born to stand out. That’s the problem” (p. 7). Abby’s ADHD causes her to speak out at inopportune times during class and to blurt out unintentionally hurtful things before she thinks. Abby says about herself, “That’s the problem with unmentionables. I always mention them” (p. 29). Her ADHD also results in Abby being an accident waiting to happen as her body and mind are often not coordinated. However, the negatives of her ADHD are balanced out with the positives, such as her strength as an actress and comedian.
 
Abby’s biggest foe of her seventh grade year is her English teacher, Mr. Finsecker. He is unable to hide his loathing for Abby and her outbursts, which only serves to heighten her struggles in his class. Mr. Finsecker describes Abby as, “Irresponsible. Chronically disorganized. Disruptive. Unfocused” (p. 54). As a result, Abby fails English and is forced by her parents to enroll in summer school and to miss the Star Lake drama camp she has been looking forward to all year. Abby assumes that summer school will be the worst thing that has ever happened to her, but in actuality it is one of the best things to ever happen to her.

“For any educators who may read THIS IS NOT THE ABBY SHOW --- and I highly recommend that all educators do read it --- there is a powerful message about the power of a teacher in the classroom and in the life of a student.”

Summer school is where the other dynamic and relatable characters come into the story. First, there is Tony, Abby’s summer school English teacher. Tony is a young, enthusiastic and unconventional teacher who sees beyond Abby’s outbursts and provides her support and outlets for her impulses. Abby assumes that her summer school classmates will be hooligans and troublemakers; she believes that she doesn’t belong in a class with those types of kids. However, on the first day of class, Abby is shocked when the other students start arriving, especially when three of her classmates from Mr. Finsecker’s class join her in summer school. There is Trina Vargas, a spacy free spirit who definitely marches to her own tambourine. Trina later reveals that she has Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which is one of the reasons she struggled in Mr. Finsecker’s class. Then Magic Max arrives. Abby never thought much about him as he always had his nose stuck in his computer or was trying to do a magic trick, but she definitely didn’t think that he would be the type of kid in summer school. However, Max has his own struggles that have made focusing at school difficult. And, finally, there is Silent Amy. She is beautiful and fashionable and all the boys like her, but as her name implies, Silent Amy doesn’t say much. Over the course of the summer Abby learns to listen and discovers that Silent Amy has a lot to say.
 
Trina, Max, Amy and Abby become friends inside their summer school classroom, but over the course of the summer they become friends outside of the classroom, as well. It is a friendship that all of them desperately needed. These true friends allow Abby to see her friendship with her best friend, Caitlin, for the false friendship it is. Her new friends also enable Abby to see herself in a new light.
 
For any educators who may read THIS IS NOT THE ABBY SHOW --- and I highly recommend that all educators do read it --- there is a powerful message about the power of a teacher in the classroom and in the life of a student. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Mr. Finsecker was responsible for Abby’s failure to succeed in his class, but I would say that he didn’t provide any support for Abby’s success in his class. Tony, on the other hand, recognizes both Abby’s needs and gifts and works hard to support her needs and to allow her gifts to shine. The two teachers in this novel provide a vivid and powerful contrast that has the potential to serve as a message for all educators.
 
I am already way past my word limit for this review and have only begun to discuss all the reasons that THIS IS NOT THE ABBY SHOW is a must read as we, educators and students alike, prepare to return to school. As many of the best books do, THIS IS NOT THE ABBY SHOW made me laugh, cry and think, and ultimately held up both a mirror and a window for me to see myself as both a person and an educator and others as people and learners as well.