The Greatest Kid in the World
The Greatest Kid in the World
By John David Anderson
From the beloved author of Posted comes the story of Zeke Stahls—a thoroughly average twelve-year-old who somehow finds himself in a competition to be named the World’s Greatest Kid.
Zeke Stahls is not the best kid in the world. Some days he struggles just to be good. He’d rather be pulling pranks than doing extra credit, and he’s too busy performing experiments on his little brother, Nate, or tormenting his older sister, Jackie, to volunteer for charity. Which is why Zeke and his entire family are shocked when they receive word that he has been selected as a contestant in an online competition to find the World’s Greatest Kid.
Zeke has no idea how he was chosen for this, and he knows that measuring up to the other nominees—a saintly lineup of selfless, charming, and talented do-gooders with photogenic smiles and hearts of gold—is hopeless. Still, with a $10,000 cash prize on the line and Zeke’s mom struggling to hold the family together on her single-parent salary, he decides to give it his best shot. As Zeke concocts various plots to show the world just how “great” he is, however, he finds himself wondering what that word even means and who gets to decide. And what kind of kid he wants—and needs—to be.
John David Anderson, the acclaimed author of Posted and Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, returns with a humorous family story of love and loss and remembrance, and one thoroughly average kid’s quest to find the best inside himself.
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'The novel’s premise and the understated wit of Zeke’s engaging first person narrative make this title easy to booktalk and rewarding to read.' — Booklist
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
John David Anderson is the author of some of the most beloved and highly acclaimed books for kids in recent memory, including the New York Times Notable Book Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Posted, Granted, Sidekicked, and The Dungeoneers. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his wonderful wife and two frawsome kids in Indianapolis, Indiana. He’s never eaten seven scoops of ice cream in a single sitting, but he thinks it sounds like a terrific idea. You can visit him online at www.johndavidanderson.org