The Twinkie Squad

Jean Free, a library consultant, is a retired public-school teacher and
librarian in Whitby, Ontario.

The Twinkie Squad, made up of “the school losers, the geeks, the
weirdos,” turns Thaddeus G. Little Middle School into a madhouse. It
all begins with eccentric Douglas Fairchild, the scion of a prestigious
Washington family, who has been asked to leave four private schools in
two years. Sent to the Special Discussion Group at his new school to
sort out his problems, he meets Commando, a black basketball player;
Yolanda, who lives through the movies she sees; and other
underachievers. Practical jokes, one-liners, and slapdash humor ensue as
Korman pokes gentle fun at the American school system (“[s]chools are
just like factories”). Douglas’s father finally realizes “that boy
may be my son and he may as well be from Mars.”

The growth of the characters, the authentically teenage language, and
the bizarre situations make this book an entertaining read for
intermediate students. Unfortunately, it was obviously written for the
U.S. market and the emphasis on the American Revolution, in the school
play 1776, and Washington political life may not be of particular
interest to Canadian students. However, they could relate to Douglas
Fairchild’s belief that “the important thing was the freedom to
frolic” and enjoy the lighthearted fun and zany antics of Korman’s
characters.