Totally Joe | 
 enlarge | Author: James Howe
Publisher: Aladdin
Category: Book
List Price: $5.99
Buy New: $2.55
You Save: $3.44 (57%)
New (33) Used (9) from $2.55
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 116161
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Young Adult
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.8
ISBN: 0689839588
EAN: 9780689839580
ASIN: 0689839588
Publication Date: April 24, 2007
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Product Description
"Everybody says you and Colin were kissing.""What? That's ridiculous!" "For heaven's sake, Joe, if you and Colin want to kiss, you have every right to." "We did not kiss," I told her. Addie shrugged. "Whatever." What was it with my friends? From the creator of The Misfits, the book that inspired NATIONAL NO NAME-CALLING WEEK, comes the story of Joe Bunch....
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Totally Joe Is Totally Worth The Read January 8, 2008
When I first saw this book, it definitely seemed like it was worth the read. It turned out to be correct. If you have any questions on whether this book is worth reading, then I would say don't bother thinking, just go out and buy it. A good book by James Howe, I would rate it as a B.
This book is about a boy named Joe who goes to middle school. Many times he is teased and made fun of for being in a minority group. Specifically, he is gay. The book encompasses many of his struggles through facing a not so pleasant bully of the name Kevin. In the book he got through a lot of things with the help of three of his best friends. One of his most notable friends, Addie, decided to start a Gay-Straight Alliance in a school. The principal refused though, worrying about homophobic responses from parents. One of the things the book highlights is to fight for what you believe in, and that's exactly what Joe and Addie did in this book. This book would be a great read for young children, as it will help them understand being who you are doesn't always have to be a bad thing.
On the reverse side, the book isn't completely realistic. Joe's family is overly accepting, as well are his classmates, which isn't something you would easily see today. The average family member wouldn't go out and buy presents for a child like Joe, and be completely fine with it in a matter of minutes. The writing also suffers lack of praise. It's nothing special, and doesn't use language to the full potential.
Either way in the end, the book is fairly simple, but a great read. If you're someone looking for a book that that is on the brighter side of things, where good triumphs over for evil, and creates a mood of where a family can go on a picnic together, this would be the book for you. If you are a person who likes to read more realistically, then I would recommend finding another book.
Totally Joe November 8, 2007
I loved James Howe's novel THE MISFITS, where a group of middle school outsiders challenges the school's name-calling habit as a student council campaign platform. Until last week, though, I hadn't gotten around to reading the sequel, TOTALLY JOE. This is a lighter look at what it's like to be a gay kid in middle school.
Howe introduces readers to Joe Bunch through his main character's "alphabiography," a series of essays he has to write about his life, with each topic starting with a different letter of the alphabet (26 chapters, including one on the ubiquitous alphabet-book xylophone, for those keeping track). Through the assignment, Joe tells the story of his first sort-of boyfriend, middle school bullies, his creative, supportive Aunt Pam, and his quest to be Totally Joe. It's honest and tough sometimes without losing its fun voice. Howe has provided a particular gift in this novel - a book about being gay that's age-appropriate for someone who's still in middle school and not ready for some of the edgier titles that seem to abound in YA literature.
Too Good to be True (but so what?!) September 15, 2006
5 out of 6 found this review helpful
In Totally Joe, we are presented with the main character Joe (sometimes JoDan) Bunch's alphabiography--the story of his life from A to Z, complete with chapters that end with a Life Lesson to share with others. I must say, I like the idea of this writing assignment--it's simple enough, and structured and methodical in ways that satisfyingly feed my anal retentiveness. It brings an order to the book, alphabetical, sometime chronological, and always moving along.
At the heart of this alphabiography assignment is the task to be self-reflexive. (Now what self-respecting feminist isn't into being self-reflexive?) However, despite Totally Joe being presented as a confidential, journal-type text strictly between Joe and his teacher, Mr. Daly, we know as readers that we are to match Joe's self-reflexivity with our own. (Isn't all reading about this?)
In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and have been quite disappointed to see reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist that critique it for its idealism and treats its optimism as a liability instead of an asset.
What ever happened to hope? to dreams? (Or, for to letting fiction be fiction?)
I believe in the power of imagination to bring about change. Utopia should not be a dirty six letter word.
Is everything in Totally Joe completely believable? Hardly. But if it were, wouldn't that be something?
A step over the rainbow September 14, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a tender, funny, marvellous book. A bit too optimistic, perhaps, but so are the books of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys, which never dared to touch the issue of diversity! A book that teaches love, frienship, understanding, and funny to boot! Recommended for all ages!
 I love Joe Bunch! April 27, 2006
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Totally Joe by James Howe follows the life of the 12-going-on-13 year old narrator Joe Bunch, and the situations within his life in the form of an alphabiography assigned by his English teacher Mr. Daly. Each chapter begins with and is structured around a letter, and each ends with a "life lesson" that Joe has learned along the way. However the book is remarkable not just for its unique and creative format, but for breaking new ground with Joe as a 12 year old gay kid. Joe is not a character questioning his sexuality; he firmly knows he is gay. However he has to navigate this, along with issues of gender, sexism, masculinity, femininity, double standards, and oppression in his middle school setting. Howe manages to deal with complex issues normally reserved for older YA or adult literature such as same-sex dating (in particular, dating someone who is closeted), GSAs, and coming out to family at this young age without ever loosing cultural authenticity. The book offers numerous insights on teenage popularity and the cutthroat war zone mentality that accompanies it, and is written in extremely contemporary language that makes the protagonist (Joe) believable and real.
The book is extremely diverse, and includes various individuals that challenge social norms, like Addie's vegetarian parents or Brian's widowed father or Skeezie's single mother. It also shows individuals like Aunt Pam who is implied to be a victim of some form of domestic abuse. The book doesn't wrap itself up in preachy diatribes on these topics, but instead weaves these elements into the average daily life of Joe Bunch.
Some critics have said that Joe's liberal family is too much of a fantasy, and to some extent that may be true. It would be rare to find a family where the grandfather is so accepting that he gives a 13 year old a little pride bumper sticker, however it is not impossible for families like this to exist now, or to inspire the straight kids that read this book to make their families that accepting in the future.
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